I Hate Myself for Loving You
by ARega1s
Summary: They say that falling in love is hard on the knees. Kitty knows this lesson all to well when Johnny stands her up. Danny is going to learn just that when he discovers Sam is now going out with Johnny 13. As Kitty's anger at the two grow, Danny hits rock bottom. Can anyone help him get back on his feet? Rated M for language and sexual situations.
1. Heart and Pride Taken Away

I Hate Myself for Loving You

Chapter 1: Heart and Pride Taken Away

 **Hello, FanFiction readers. I have a new flavor of Danny Phantom for you to try. I decided to try a pairing that I feel deserves more attention. Danny and Kitty. Why have I chosen to write one? Well, my first reason would be that you the fans voted for this. My second reason... I'll share with you soon. Besides my usual warning for my M rated stories, I would like to caution you on the darker tone this has compared to my previous stories. Also, for those fans of Sam that are still here despite my pairing, you may not like what I have done to her. Now that the formalities are out of the way, I do not own Danny Phantom, the cover picture, or the song "I Hate Myself for Loving You" by Joan Jett & The Blackhearts. R&R and Enjoy.**

 *****Bar in the Ghost Zone, 7:30 PM*****

 _Midnight, gettin' uptight, where are you?_

 _You said you'd meet me, now it's quarter to two_

 _I know I'm hangin' but I'm still wantin' you_

 _Hey Jack, it's a fact they're talkin' in town_

Those were the words coming from the radio in the bar as Kitty continued to sip on her strawberry daiquiri. A scowl was clear on her face as she brought the glass to her lips for another sip.

"What a surprise. He forgot our anniversary." she muttered before setting the glass down. The bartender gave her a sympathetic look as he continued to clean the bar top. She sighed before she began to rub her temples to ease the headache she was developing.

'Should have known not to trust him anymore after I caught him looking at some floozy the last time.' Kitty thought. 'Hell, I probably should have stuck with Danny instead of going back to him. At least Danny and I got along during the short time we had together.'

 _I turn my back and you're messin' around_

 _I'm not really jealous, don't like lookin' like a clown_

 _I think of you ev'ry night and day_

 _You took my heart then you took my pride away_

Kitty began to seriously think about her relationship with Johnny in the past few months. First was their initial escape attempt from the Ghost Zone. Johnny had made it but she had been trapped. To find a way to bring herself into the human realm instead of going back to the Zone, she had given Johnny some of the gifts he had given her when they were still alive. Her jacket, one of the first gifts he had given her when they had started to date. Her scarf, from their first motorcycle ride through the countryside and she had been getting cold. Finally, the promise ring he had given her when had professed his love for her and he had claimed her virginity. These she gave to him and asked him to give to a mortal girl so she could possess them and come to the human realm.

In retrospect, she realized she could have simply asked him to possess another human so he could unlock the Ghost Portal and allowed her access to the human realm. Another thing that bothered her now was weather Johnny really wanted to bring her back or to simply have her possess the body that he chose. At the time, she wasn't concerned about who he picked but now she questioned his choice.

Next was the time she had left him when his eyes were roaming on some random human chick in the park. When she had called him out on it, he fervently denied it. He said, "I only have eyes for you, babe." But not even five minutes later, his eyes were glued to her ass again. This time, she smacked him upside the head before flying away from him. Deciding to spite Johnny, Kitty decided to possess Paulina and date the one person that would anger Johnny the most, Danny. In the beginning, it was strange going out with Danny, having to pretend to be someone she wasn't and dating the enemy of her friends. But as the days went by, she grew to enjoy his company, both as Phantom and as Fenton. When it finally came to an end and she went back to Johnny, she was genuinely disappointed. She wasn't mad at Danny for tricking her back to Johnny. He thought he was doing the right thing. It was Johnny who was to blame. He had come up with a sob story and begged Danny to help him get her back.

 _I hate myself for loving you_

 _Can't break free from the things that you do_

 _I wanna walk but I run back to you_

 _That's why I hate myself for loving you_

Ever since then, Johnny began to flirt more often and in front of her. Kitty tried calling him out on it but her brushed her off. She had banished him several times, occasionally nearing the point of no return and then bringing him back. During those moments he would come back crying, swearing he would never flirt with any woman again. They would subsequently make up and they would be happy for a week or two until the vicious circle began again.

Sighing, Kitty finished the rest of her daiquiri before taking off her promise ring and looking it over. A small smile came to her face when she remembered the way in which he had given it to her. He had taken her out on a picnic in a large, open field. After eating, he had taken out the ring from his pocket and slid it on her finger, saying that he would only love her. After she had recovered from the initial shock, she flung herself towards him and returned his feelings. Soon after, they had made love, Kitty's first time. Admittedly, Johnny had been fairly rough and it had hurt. Still, she enjoyed it all the same and relished the fact that he loved her.

 _I think of you ev'ry night and day_

 _You took my heart and you took my pride away_

 _I hate myself for loving you_

 _Can't break free from the things that you do_

 _I wanna walk but I run back to you_

 _That's why I hate myself for loving you_

As she continued her journey down memory lane, Kitty the ring over so she could see the inside of the band. What she saw caused her jaw to drop and make her ectoplasmic blood boil. Inside the ring was an inscription, one she had never noticed because she had never taken the ring off, minus the time she had given it to Johnny. Inscribed was a name.

 _ **Michelle**_

"What kind of sick, twisted joke is this?" Kitty growled as she removed her scarf to look at the tag. On it was written another name.

 _ **Zoe**_

Her eyes were now glowing with rage as she removed her jacket to see if it to belonged to someone else.

 _ **Ashley**_

Kitty's anger peaked as she let out a feral scream, frightening several patrons of the bar and the bartender. After she finished, Kitty took off out of the bar, flying as fast as she could to the Ghost Portal. Her once treasured gifts were now beginning to smoke in her hand.

"When I find you, Johnny, you are going to beg me to banish you." Kitty snarled as she zoomed through the Ghost Portal and began to look for her now ex-boyfriend.

 *****Meanwhile*****

November. The time of year when what little green on the Earth that survived fall would eventually die as winter came. The trees were nearly barren, save a few straggling red and brown leaves. The once green grass, now a sickly yellow and covered in leaves. The residents of Amity were going about their business, bundled in thick coats and jeans to protect themselves from the cold. The one exception to this seemed to be a teenage boy with messy black hair, a white T-shirt, and faded blue jeans.

As he walked down the street to his best friend's mansion, Danny Fenton was feeling like he was on Cloud Nine. Top of the world. Like a million bucks. Any phrase that would describe a good mood, that was what Danny was feeling. A broad smile was on his face, a bouquet of roses in his right hand, and a heart-shaped box of chocolates in his left.

The normal passerby would wonder which lucky lady Danny was trying to woo with his gifts. That girl just so happened to be Samantha Manson, one of his best friends and, if things worked out the way he had planned, his future girlfriend.

Were any of his family or his other close friend, Tucker, to see Danny now, they might exclaim that it was about time Danny stopped being clueless. To his defense, Danny didn't see the visual and verbal clues because he had several things on his mind when they were presented. A little difficult to see that your friend is flirting with you when you are fighting ghost, trying to maintain grades in school, and escape detection from your parents.

Now, however, all that was in the past. Now, Danny was ready to take a leap of faith to make Sam his girlfriend. What better way to show his new found affection for her than a surprise visit, bearing gifts?

Unnoticed by the love drunk teenager, as he made his way up the path towards the front door to Sam's mansion, was the black motorcycle with an ecto green 13 painted on the gas tank parked across the street.

Meanwhile, an angry Kitty was zooming through the streets of Amity, trying to find the bastard that used to be her boyfriend. He wasn't at any of the biker bars, he wasn't flirting with human girls at the park, and he wasn't in any of the back alleys, receiving head or getting a quickie from the few promiscuous women around the town. With no leads to his current whereabouts, she was hoping to catch a glimpse of either him or his motorcycle.

"No good, two timing, ass hole." she hissed. When she finally found him, she would force him to tell her the truth about the other women and their relationship. Then she would beat the shit out of him, make him beg her to banish him for good. But she would refuse. If banishing him had not worked before, there was no reason to try it again. He would suffer his punishment before he succumbed to his slow and painful demise.

Before she dwelled anymore on the ass beating she would be giving Johnny, she finally spotted his motorcycle. Unusual that he would be anywhere near the more classy part of Amity, she thought. When she looked around to see why he would be here, her eyes rested on the Manson mansion. Anger welled up inside of her. The goth chick. Johnny was now seeing the goth chick. Was there no low that he would stoop to? Was he that horny that he would fuck one of his enemies?

Growling, Kitty flew up to the girl's window to break up their little fun session. She still clutched at her former boyfriend's gifts but now there were evident burn marks. Where she gripped the jacket, the once red leather was now black and charred. The purple scarf had glowing embers clinging to it. The gold ring was now covered in soot and ash.

Going invisible, she phased through the window and took in the sight before her. The goth girl's room was black with purple accents. Various grunge and metal band posters covered the walls. An ebony wood desk sat in the corner of the room while a large bookcase stood next to it. Finally, there was the bed. A queen size with black and purple sheets strewn across it. On the bed itself was the bastard she had been looking for. Currently, Johnny 13 was completely naked, sweat glistening all over his body and a cocky smile on his face as he plowed Samantha Manson from behind. She was in the doggy position, ass in the air while her forearms were planted on the mattress. She was also naked, her C cup breasts jiggling after each thrust from Johnny. Her black mascara was streaming down her face while moans of satisfaction escaped her lips.

"Oh God, yes! Keep going!" she said.

"You got it, babe." Johnny replied, picking up his pace.

Kitty was outraged. So this is how their relationship would end? He stands her up on the day of their anniversary so he could fuck the goth chick? Well, Kitty was going to make sure she had the last laugh when she wiped the floor with...

But at that moment, the unexpected happened. She gasped as Danny Fenton walked into the room, carrying a bouquet of roses and a heart-shaped box of chocolates. Were the situation any different, Kitty would think it one of the most romantic things she had ever seen the Ghost Child do. Unfortunately for him, his timing couldn't have been any worse.

"Hey Sam. I stopped by to..." the teenager began before he took in the sight before him. The smile that once graced his face vanished as a look of surprise and despair replaced it. The beautiful bouquet slipped out of his hands, soon followed by the box of chocolates. Rose petals lazily floated to the ground while the heart-shaped box of chocolates split in two, spilling its sweet contents across the floor.

"Sam... What?" Danny stammered, unable to comprehend what he was seeing.

The two on the bed stopped their activities to look at the intruder. Sam looked annoyed and frustrated at Danny while a cruel and sadistic smile graced Johnny's face. The ghostly biker snapped his fingers.

"Shadow, hold him." he commanded.

In a flash, Johnny's Bad Luck Shadow sprang up from behind him and captured Danny, pinning him against the wall. Danny was too stunned at the site before him to react to Shadow. As his head slammed agains the wall, his body below the neck was smothered by the creature. It felt as soft as silk yet it was as thick as sludge.

"Well, well, well. Look who decided to drop by." Johnny chuckled before pulling his still throbbing cock out of Sam and slowly made his way towards Danny. He kicked the bouquet away, scattering even more rose petals and crushed the assorted chocolates beneath his feet.

"I wouldn't try going ghost if I were you. The way Shadow has you now, he would crush your lungs before you could say your ridiculous catch phrase." he said, stopping in front of the captured boy and grinning maliciously at him.

"Sam!" Danny said, looking towards his friend. "What is going on?"

"Shouldn't it be obvious?" Sam replied. "We're having sex."

"But... but..." Danny stammered, desperately hoping this was all a cruel joke. "I was going to ask you out. I took the time to look at us for and what we have been through recently. I finally saw those subtle hints and advances."

Instead of Sam replying, there was only the cruel laughter of Johnny that responded.

"Oh, the irony. You finally realize that she was hitting on you just in time to find out she has gotten over you. On top of that, you catch your crush with somebody else." he said as his laughter finally died down. "Aint that a bitch."

Danny tried to respond, tried to counter his statement, but ended up wordlessly opening and closing his mouth.

Kitty watched it all play out, her anger slightly dissipating as a something new bubbled up inside her. Sympathy. Her heart went out to Danny as she saw his heart being broken by the friend he wanted to be his girlfriend and one of his enemies. She wanted to comfort him, tell him it was not the end of the world, that there were other girls that would gladly take him as their boyfriend, and that she would make the cause of his pain suffer.

"Speaking of bitches, I might as well give you some company." Johnny said, before quickly spinning around and blasting the invisible Kitty in the chest. Not expecting this, she was thrown into the wall, her exposed midriff stinging from the burn she received from the ecto blast. Johnny quickly grabbed her by the throat and tossed her at the wall where Danny was being held. Shadow quickly covered her with his inky black form, leaving only her head exposed.

"Well, this is most certainly convenient for us. Now we get to kill two birds with one stone, so to speak. I was wondering when and how I should dump you but I think this will work perfectly." Johnny said, making his way towards the two.

"You cheating, son of a bitch!" Kitty yelled at him, her red eyes glowing menacingly at him. "You leave my to dry on our anniversary so you can fuck the goth chick? The girl that was crushing on your enemy?"

"You hit the nail right on the head." Sam said, speaking up for the first time since Danny had walked in. "Was crushing on him. No longer, though."

Sam gave the two captives a smirk before continuing. "Sure, I flirted with Danny. Tried catching his eye, tried drawing his attention away from the other girls, tried getting him to notice me as something more than a friend. Unfortunately, he was too stupid to realize the signals I was trying to send him. I'm a patient person but there is only so much I can take before I decide to give up."

"I noticed now, though." Danny croaked, his eyes watering as his heart slowly broke with every word she said. "I've been so busy fighting ghosts, dealing with school, and trying not to get caught by my parents that I never really thought about the signals you were giving me."

"Oh yeah? Then explain why you dated Paulina when she was possessed by Kitty?" Sam replied, glaring at him.

"It was like a dream come true." he tried to explain. "The pretty girl that I had a crush on finally noticed me and wanted to go out with me. I knew I wouldn't get another chance so I decided to take it. Even after finding out it was Kitty, I still had a fun time dating her. She liked me not only as Phantom but also as Fenton. It wasn't until Johnny came back, telling me how much he missed her and how he had made a mistake that I decided she needed to go back to him. A couple weeks after they got back together, I started to think back about us and the little interactions we have had. I realized the signals you were trying to send so I decided to talk to you about them today."

Kitty was touched by Danny's explanation. He really did enjoy the brief time they had together and only ended it because he felt it was the right thing to do. She wished she could embrace him, tell him that his heart was in the right place. Alas, before she could get a word in, Sam scoffed at Danny's response.

"Typical. Picking the Queen B of Casper High, possessed by this ghostly slut," Sam said, casually pointing a finger at Kitty, "Rather than picking the better choice of your best friend. Well, it looks like this will be a bit of a wake up call, Danny. Your best option is now gone and you are just going to have to deal with that mistake."

That was it. As soon as Sam had finished, tears slowly trickled down Danny's face.

"Sam..." he choked, trying to hold back the cracks in his voice. "I'm sorry. I didn't know. If I would have known sooner..."

"Funny things about the 'ifs' in the world, you never know the answer to most of them because they won't happen." Sam said, cutting him off.

"You are a heartless bitch." Kitty snarled, glaring daggers at the treacherous goth.

"No." Sam said, "I'm just tired of being ignored and overlooked. Thankfully, all that is over now that I have my new man."

"Ha! You really think he will remain loyal to you? The bastard will fuck any pretty face he can! Those gifts he gave me were from some of his other conquests."

Johnny began to laugh. "It took you this long to realize those gifts I gave you from other girls? Who is the stupid one now? And as for me screwing any old girls I fancy, Sammy is fine with it as long as she gets a piece of them as well."

As if to confirm his statement, Sam added, "He'll always come back to me and he knows to give me more attention than the other girl.

Kitty's cheeks flushed red. "So is that all I was to you? Just a fuck buddy? Was everything you told me when we were together, both when we were alive and in the Ghost Zone, a lie?"

"Yeah." he replied, nonchalantly, "You were basically a glorified fuck buddy. But not everything I told you was a lie. You did have a tight pussy when I popped your cherry."

Kitty snapped. She yelled and screamed, hurling every insult she knew at her former lover only for him to laugh in her face.

"Now, however, you are nothing compared to Sammy." he chuckled. "Your ass is tiny compared to her's. And those mosquito bite A cups don't stand a chance against these magnificent tits."

"I'll end you! I will have you begging me to banish you!" Kitty shrieked.

"Looks like we need to shut that foul mouth." Johnny said before walking to the bed, picking up something off it, and turning back towards the two captives. In his hand he held what looked like a purpled thong. It was completely soaked with both Johnny's cum and Sam's vaginal fluids, droplets falling on the floor. He casually walked over to Kitty.

"Open wide." he commanded, a sinister smile on his lips. She refused to open up but was shocked when Shadow's tiny tendrils forced themselves into her mouth and forced it open. Johnny shoved the soiled lingerie into her mouth before Shadow forced it closed again.

"Enjoy the taste, Kitty. It will be the last time you ever have it." Johnny chuckled before returning to the bed. "How about we put on a little show for our guests before we kick them out?"

To answer his question, Sam simply lay back on her bed and spread her legs for him, a mixture of both their fluids dripping out of her womanhood.

Johnny took her hips and slammed his hard member into her, eliciting a moan of pleasure from her lips.

As they settled into a steady pace, Danny's heart continued to break. Memories of his and Sam's time together shattering into a million pieces.

The first time they met in middle school.

Gone.

Entering high school with her and Tucker.

Gone.

Her convincing him to enter the Ghost Portal.

Gone.

The many misadventures they had shared as he fought his ghostly enemies.

Gone.

Every happy memory he had of Sam was being replaced by the scene before him.

"Harder, Johnny! Harder!" Sam pleaded.

Johnny picked up the tempo, their love claps growing louder as they neared their climax.

Kitty looked on in anger. Nothing had gone as she had planned. She caught Johnny together with the goth. Danny walks in and gets his heart broken, Johnny blows off her insults, and now he is screwing his new girlfriend in front of her. It didn't help that she had to taste his cum off the panties shoved in her mouth. Turning her head, she took in the look of despair on Danny's face as tears streamed down his cheeks.

"I'm almost there, Sammy!" Johnny exclaimed.

"Wait!" Sam said before pulling him out of her and taking his penis in her mouth. She continued to orally stimulate him until he finally came, taking all his load into her mouth. She then got off the bed and walked towards Danny, her cheeks still bulging from the seed in her mouth. He looked back at her, wanting her to have a change in heart and be his. Instead, she spat the seed into his face, covering him in the sticky mixture. Long, pale strands of cum dripped from his hair while his tears mixed with the rest.

If Kitty had use of her arms, she would have bitch slapped the girl for doing that to Danny. She wasn't satisfied by crushing his hopes with her and screwing Johnny in front of him, she had to throw salt on his already gaping wound by spitting cum on his face. Danny did nothing but hang his head, allowing the seed and tears to drip off his face.

"Well, now that we are done, I'll take this trash out. See you later, Sammy." Johnny said as he pulled his clothes on and kissed the still naked Sam. "Shadow, keep holding them and follow."

With that, Johnny and his Shadow went intangible and flew towards his bike. He gunned the motor and sped towards the now empty park. Parking his bike, he walked a couple of steps before stopping by a large puddle of mud.

"Well, kiddos, it sure has been fun." Johnny chuckled, "Can't say I'm going to miss you Kitty. Now that I have Sam and she is willing to share with any other girl I bring, there really is no point in coming back to you. As for you, Phantom. Thanks for neglecting her and consider this payback for the times you kicked my ass."

He walked back to his motorcycle and started the engine.

"Dump them." he said.

Doing as commanded, Shadow tossed the two into the puddle. With a thick splash, they landed and were soon covered head to foot in the gooey muck. Before Kitty could get up and banish her ex, he and his Shadow had vanished back into the Ghost Zone via Johnny's personal Portal Generator.

"Damn it!" Kitty hissed as she got to her feet and went intangible, allowing the mud to fall off her. "Fucker got away."

Before she could contemplate on what to do now, she turned back to look at Danny. He had barely moved from his position in the puddle, simply turning over to lie on his back. Like her, he had been completely covered in the muck. The only difference was that there were two clean line of skin on either sides of his face, showing the paths his still flowing tears had taken.

"Oh, Danny." Kitty said as she helped him to his feet before making the two of them intangible, allowing the mud to fall off him as well.

"There. Now you aren't dirty anymore." she said, trying to give him a reassuring smile.

"I guess." he croaked.

"Danny..." Kitty said, trying to find the words to make him feel better. To cheer him up after this experience.

"I'm sorry you had to deal with that, Kitty." he said.

"I'll be fine Danny. I'm more..." she started to say before Danny cut her off again.

"I'll see you around." he mumbled before slowly walking back towards his house.

Kitty wanted to stop him. To tell him something, anything to make him feel better. Yet nothing came to mind. Disappointed that she didn't know how to help the heartbroken boy, she watched as he walked the lonely road back to his house.


	2. Make the Pain Go Away

Chapter 2: Make the Pain Go Away

 **Hello readers. I'm back with a new chapter. I'm actually surprised at the majority of positive response I have received from you. I am glad to hear this and hope that you all will continue to enjoy it. I do not own Danny Phantom or 'It's Been Awhile' by Staind. R &R and Enjoy.**

 *****2 Weeks Later, 7 AM, Danny Fenton's Bedroom*****

As the loud, obnoxious buzzer that was Danny's alarm roused him from his nightmare filled sleep, Danny wiped the trail of tears that had formed at the corners of both eyes. His once beautiful blue eyes were now swollen and bloodshot. Even the simple routine of blinking hurt as a stinging pain occurred with each open and close of his eyelids.

"Please." Danny pleaded, folding his hands and looking to the heavens. "Please, God. Get me through this day. Make it better than these last few."

Suddenly his phone vibrated, signifying that he had received a text message. Danny was shocked, to say the least. Flipping it open, his heart turned as he saw who the message was from.

Sam

Could it be? Could it be an apology? Could she have broken up with Johnny?

Slowly, he went to his inbox and checked the message.

The small glimmer of hope was quickly put out as a tidal wave of despair rushed in. There she was, his once best friend, Samantha Manson, posing naked and performing lewd acts on her new boyfriend Johnny. In one she was sucking him off while giving the middle finger to the camera. In another, she was riding Johnny in the cowgirl position, her back arched in pleasure and the light reflecting off her sweat covered body. Still another, she was being fucked from behind.

There was a small message at the end of the picture collection.

"Thought you would like to know what we did last night-Sam"

Exiting out of his inbox, he wiped the fresh tear that had exited his right eye. Already he was starting the day off horribly. Why did she have to torture him so? Shouldn't it have been enough that both she and Johnny had forced him to watch them have sex? Wasn't it enough that she had to spit her new lover's seed in his face?

The answer was an unfortunate no. Sam seemed to find some sick pleasure in doing spiteful things to Danny. It wasn't frequent. So far there had only been three or four occurrences since she had rejected Danny. But when she did, it felt as though she was twisting a jagged dagger in his already aching heart.

Slowly, he crawled out of bed and began to go about his morning routine. Going to the bathroom, washing up, getting dressed in his normal attire, and making his way to breakfast. The house was and had been quiet for the last two weeks. The day Danny had come back from his disastrous attempt at wooing Sam to be his girlfriend, he noticed his parents packing the Fenton RV. Said there was a major ghost hunting convention upstate. He had tried talking to his dad about what had happened, leaving out the part that his best friend was having sex with a ghost, but he seemed too busy packing the RV. He had tried talking to his mother next. She had simply given him a sympathetic "Oh, sweetie. I'm sorry to hear that. I'd love to talk more but we have to get on the road."

Since then, it had been just him and Jazz alone in the house. He was hesitant to talk to Jazz. He knew that for the most part, she was extremely busy, trying to finish high school. She could also be inquisitive, wanting to know every intimate detail about someone who she perceives to have a problem. So he had avoided her, hiding everything within himself and pretending everything was alright.

The same applied for today as he made a bowl of cereal and quietly ate at the table when his sister came downstairs.

"Morning, Danny." Jazz said as she hurriedly tossed an english muffin in the toaster before getting out the butter and grape jelly.

"Sorry I'm in a rush but I have to get to school early so I can talk to my teacher about my calc project." she continued, catching the two halves as the popped out of the toaster before she quickly yet gracefully buttered and smeared jelly on them before finally folding them in a napkin. It was then she finally got a good look at her younger brother. She was surprised to see he looked more tired than usual. His shoulders were slumped as he was bent over his bowl and slowly scooped the cereal into his mouth.

"Are...Are you ok, Danny?" she asked.

Danny quickly composed his face and put on a false smile for his big sister. "Yeah. I'm good. Just had trouble sleeping last night.

It was a half truth. He did have trouble sleeping. He just didn't feel like having this conversation with his sister right now, especially since she seemed busy and probably wouldn't want to hear about his recent woes.

"Ok." she said softly as she made her way to the door. She opened it before quickly turning back to him.

"You know that if there is anything you need to talk about, I'm here for you."

She saw his smile falter for a second, like he was seriously thinking about her offer.

Internally, Danny was struggling. Maybe he should open up. Maybe talking to her would help. But then the memories of Sam and Johnny came back to the front of his mind causing his heart to ache again. No, just thinking about what happened made his bleeding heart come open again. It hurt terribly, writhing around his insides like a venomous snake, poisoning him with more depression and loss.

"Thanks Jazz. I'll see you at school." he finally said, the false smile not leaving his face.

The eldest Fenton sibling nodded before exiting the front door and making her way to Casper High. So much to do, so little time. Still... Danny definitely seemed off today. Something was not right with her little brother and she intended to get to the bottom of things as soon as school let out.

Back in the kitchen, the smile vanished from his face as soon as the door closed. He let out a sigh before finishing the rest of his cereal and putting it in the sink. Looking up, his opened the cabinet directly above the sink and revealed his father's bottle of Jack Daniel's. Slowly, his hand reached out and grabbed the rectangular bottle with the famous back label.

An unfortunate thing he had started using to cope with his pain, he knew. But it was an immediate relief. Something that he could take and it would immediately make the painful memories disappear for a while. But they always came back and with furious vengeance. But that could simply be solved by another sip. He knew that eventually, when his parents returned, they might question why their unopened bottle of liquor was half empty, or three quarters empty, or completely empty. Fortunately for him, that could be solved by going ghost and sneaking one from the local liquor store. He would even drop the money in the register to at least assure himself he wasn't really stealing.

Unscrewing the cap, he allowed a mouthful of the amber liquid to slide down his throat. The taste was still sour but he felt a bit of relief as the memories began to fade into nothingness again. Putting the cap back on, Danny carefully placed the bottle into his back pack.

Notes, check.

Homework, check.

Pain reliever, check.

Option B...

Danny gulped. If the time came where that was the only option left, he at least had it close.

Zipping up his bag, he made his way out the door, locked it, and headed towards Casper High.

As he walked the lonely road, he thought about the mental discussion he had with himself the other night. Should he visit him today? Would he even listen to him? Or would he just give him a smug smile, comment on how superior he was to Danny before slamming the door in his face.

"Maybe it won't come to that, today. Maybe..."

But the rest of Danny's personal pep talk was drowned out by the sound of a motorcycle. A very familiar motorcycle. Johnny's Motorcycle.

The spectral rider was flying down the road like a bat outta hell. Clinging to him from behind was Sam, a helmet on her head and an excited grin on her face. Next to the cycle was a sidecar. If Danny wasn't already feeling low as he saw Sam with her new lover, he certainly was now when he saw who was in the sidecar. There was Tucker, holding his beret on his head and smiling widely.

Danny lowered his head as they passed. Yet another twist of the knife.

Tucker. The one person he had hoped would stay by his side through this situation. Gone. Bought out by Sam's seemingly endless supply of her parent's money. It hurt and it stung, the feeling of loneliness. The memories of his abandon...

"No. Not those to." Danny said. He quickly jumped into and alley, looked to make sure he wasn't being watched, and the quickly snuck another swig of whiskey from his bag.

The sour taste, the numbness flowing through his body. It took a little longer for the memories to fade than when they did in the morning but eventually they did.

Sighing, he screwed the cap back on, closed his bag, and made a slight detour from his normal route to school. It seems as though the decision has been made for him.

 *****10 Minutes Later, The Mayor's Mansion*****

Vlad had just finished his breakfast as he whipped his mouth clean with a napkin. French toast, eggs over easy, sausage links, and a mimosa. An excellent way to start his day of planning. The morning would be dedicated to figuring out to get his annoying foe, Daniel, to either see things his way or to be out of his hair all together. After lunch, he would concentrate on how best to get rid of Jack before winning Maddie over. Was this a healthy habit? No, he admitted to himself. Probably not the best way to win over your married best friend from college by offing her husband while simultaneously trying to manipulate and/or get rid of her half ghost son. Still, he felt he deserved so sort of happiness. Becoming rich and powerful through his ghostly powers was an amazing feat, yet he had never felt so alone and unhappy.

"Sorry, sir, but there is a young man at the door who wishes to speak with you. He says it is urgent." his butler said, breaking Vlad from his thoughts.

"Thank you, Wadsworth." the Mayor of Amity said before getting up and walking to the front door. Straightening his jacket, he opened the door and was surprised to see none other than Daniel. He immediately became wary, unsure of what new trick the boy may have this time.

"Daniel." he said in a business like tone. "What brings you here? Shouldn't you be in school?"

The boy stared deeply into Vlad's eyes, allowing the millionaire to reevaluate his original assumption. The boy looked terrible. The joking and normally good natured teenager was gone. Here stood a broken and lonely young man. His eyes were bloodshot and had dark circles under them. And was that alcohol he smelled on him?

"I'm not here to play games. I just have two things to say, then I will be out of your hair."

Now Vlad's curiosity was definitely piqued. Daniel never acted like this before. Sure, he would put on a charade only to get the upper hand from time to time but this instance he seemed serious.

"I must say, Daniel. You have definitely caught my attention. I guess it can't hurt to hear you out."

"Good." Danny said before taking a deep breath. "The first thing I want to say is that I now understand your feelings for mom."

Vlad felt like he had been hit by a freight train. Daniel, admitting he understood his desire for Maddie? Something was definitely wrong here.

Danny didn't seem to notice as he continued. "I know what it feels like to lose someone you had gained feelings for. It hurts. It is a terrible pain I wish I had never had to experience."

Losing someone he had gained feelings for? He must be referring to the Manson girl, Vlad thought. So the boy must have tried to woo his friend only to be rejected in some way. How? Vlad would have to do some research on that.

"Well, I must admit I am surprised by your admission, Daniel. I never thought you would understand me in that respect." Vlad finally said.

"Yeah." the boy replied simply, looking down at his shoes.

There was something nagging at the back of Vlad's mind now, though. If the boy now understood the feelings of loss, why was he not angry and enraged? Why was he not seeking vengeance for this injustice? Instead...he looked hopeless, gloomy, and depressed.

"I guess you want to know what the second thing is now." Danny started up again, looking up from his shoes and back to Vlad.

"Very much so." Vlad replied.

This was it. The moment where Daniel would either do a complete 180 and return to his normal, happy, and mischievous self, or remain in this unhappy state.

"Do you still have your ecto neutralizing device? The one you used to cancel my ghost powers in the woods a while back?"

Vlad was completely thrown off by the question.

"Yes, I do still have it. What do you need of it?"

Taking a deep breath, Danny replied, "I want you to neutralize my ghost powers for a day."

The boy was making less sense by the minute. Neutralize his powers for a day? What purpose would that serve? What ends would that meet?

"Would you mind explaining to me why you would want that?"

"You don't need to understand my reasoning. Just that this is what I want and you have the means of fulfilling it."

His tone was firm yet Vlad could see the worry and desperation in the boy's eyes.

"Alright." he finally agreed. "Would you like to step inside while I go fetch the device?"

"No." Danny said, shifting from one foot to the other.

Nodding his head, Vlad left the door ajar before making his way towards his lab. Passing by his various ghost weaponry, samples, and chemical experiments, he finally found the handheld Ecto Neutralizer. He chuckled a little at the memory of its first use. One of his various attempts to woo Maddie. When Danny was...Danny. A frown appeared as he made his way back to the front door. What exactly happened between the young man and his goth friend? What did she do that brought him down to rock bottom? Well, he would be sure to discover the source of the boy's change as soon as he left. He wanted his little badger back and fighting again.

Opening the door again, he saw that Danny had not moved from his spot when he left.

"Are you sure you wish to go through with this, Daniel?"

The boy simply nodded. Sighing, Vlad powered up the device and set the Neutralizer to twenty-four hours. Giving him one last hesitant look, Vlad gently prodded him with the device. Immediately, Danny's body spasmed, almost falling to the ground. But just as suddenly as it had started, he stopped spasming and became still, taking deep breaths.

Brushing the sweat that had accumulated on his forehead, Danny stood up.

"Thanks. Hopefully we can do this again sometime." he said before turning and making his way back to school.

Vlad did not know what to say. The boy had certainly changed. Were thinking in terms of his plans to get rid of the boy, this was the chance of a lifetime. Yet Vlad had other thoughts on his mind. He didn't like this new Danny, not one bit. Plans aside, he wanted the boy to be happy AND obedient to him. Making up his mind, he closed the front door before making his way back to his lab and stood in front of his ghost portal before transforming into his alter ego, Vlad Plasmius. Entering, the Ghost Zone, he sped off towards Clockwork's Realm. Perhaps the Ghost of Time would shed some light.

 *****11 AM, Casper High*****

So far, the day had been relatively normal for Danny. Well, as normal as it can be now that his friends had abandoned him and he now being alone. He was tardy for his first class but that was a fairly normal occurrence. Sam and Tuck had ignored him and that was alright with Danny. Now painful memories were brought up, meaning he didn't how to quell them with more alcohol. Dash had stuffed him into his locker but that was also a normal occurrence. Normally Sam or Tuck would free him but Danny had learned long ago the art of extracting himself from a locker. Now he was heading to Mr. Lancer's English Class. Entering the class room, he sat at his usual spot while Sam and Tucker sat as far away from him as they could.

"Good morning class." the balding teacher said as he entered the room, just as the bell rang.

The class gave him a mumbled reply. Thinking nothing of his classes usual response to his greeting, he picked up a piece of chalk and began writing on the board.

"Today we shall be reviewing our readings from last week. Who can tell me what it was about?"

Turning back to the class, he wasn't surprised to see that none of his students had their hands raised.

"So. You wish to do this the hard way, eh?" Mr. Lancer said. "Fine. Mr. Baxter, please tell me what you read over the weekend?"

Dash was startled from his snooze when Mr. Lancer called upon him. Still half asleep, he answered, "Playboy magazine."

The class erupted in laughter while the teacher sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger.

"Congratulations, Mr. Baxter. You have earned a zero for the day and a detention. Anyone else wish to try and follow his example?"

The class became deadly silent now, not wanting to annoy their teacher any more.

"Good. The Tragedy of Julius Caesar. Written by William Shakespeare. Now, can anyone tell me what happened to Caesar in our book?"

Paulina cautiously raised her hand. "He was stabbed?"

Mr. Lancer let out a sigh of relief. "Correct, Ms. Sanchez. Yes, Caesar was stabbed by the members of the Roman Senate and his comrade Brutus. Mr. Fenton, can you tell me the significance of Brutus stabbing Caesar?"

Mr. Lancer intentionally picked Danny, having a strong feeling he had not read the book over the weekend. When Danny answered, he was surprised to hear what came out of the boy's mouth.

"When Brutus stabbed Caesar, it signified the ultimate betrayal. Brutus had been Caesar's greatest friend and ally up to this point in the book. So when Caesar felt the dagger of Brutus stab him, the knowing of his betrayal hurt more than the actual knife wound."

There was a pause from Mr. Lancer before a broad smile crossed his face.

"Excellent job, Mr. Fenton! A perfect answer."

The corner of Danny's mouth turned upward slightly at his praise. Maybe today wouldn't be so bad after all.

Mr. Lancer asked several more questions about the death of Caesar, all of which Danny answered to the balding teacher's liking. But as the class was coming to a close, things took an unfortunate turn.

"Finally, can you explain to the class what happened after the death of Caesar?"

Danny was about to answer when Sam interjected.

"Yeah, I can answer that. Rome became something greater and more powerful. Because they had gotten rid of Caesar, Rome became the great empire that we know of today. So, in a way, the senate and Brutus did the people a favor by killing Caesar."

The teacher frowned at this interjection. "That was very rude of you to interrupt Mr. Fenton like that, Ms. Manson. Next, this is not History class. Otherwise you may have been correct in your answer. Seeing as this is English, you are incorrect."

Sam huffed and muttered "Says you."

"Take a detention for back talk, Ms. Manson." Mr. Lancer said sternly. "As I was about to say, in the book, Rome dove into chaos and despair. Civil war erupted between the traitors and the people led by Marc Antony. Thousands died and the traitors themselves eventually perished."

"Which then led to the creation of the Roman Empire, which I said. So my answer should be correct. Right, Tucker?"

Tucker hesitated, not liking being called out on the spot. But when Sam flashed him a twenty dollar bill from her pocket, he quickly nodded his head and agreed with her.

"She's right. Rome was much better off without Caesar."

Seconds before the bell rang, signaling the dismissal of class, Mr. Lancer thought he heard Danny mumble "Et tu, Tuck?"

As the bell sounded, nearly everyone rushed out of the class to enjoy their brief brake period before their next class. Only Danny and Mr. Lancer were left as the boy slowly packed his things into his bag.

"Danny." Mr. Lancer said tentatively, "Excellent job today. You really showed improvement compared to other days. I'm sorry you were rudely interrupted."

"It happens." Danny murmured, zipping up his backpack before tossing it over his right shoulder.

"Has something happened between you and Sam?" the balding man asked.

"No." Danny lied before opening the door. "See you later, Mr. Lancer."

As he made his way back to his locker, Danny could feel the memories coming back again. Even now, the ache was still penetrating the numbness from the alcohol he had already consumed. The day was going farther down hill than he would have liked and at a more rapid pace then before. He needed the blissful nothingness the drink would provide him.

Getting to his locker, he managed to open it and sneak his personal 'pain reliever' into his bag when he felt someone roughly shove him to the ground. Thinking it was Dash expressing his anger at getting a detention, he was ready to accept the locker stuffing when he suddenly heard the last voice he wanted to hear.

"Nice going, Danny. Thanks to you, I now have detention." Sam spat, an irritated look on her face. Behind her stood Tucker, a look of indifference on his face.

A crowd had formed around the three, everyone surprised to see the three former friends bickering amongst themselves. A few even pulled out their phones and began recording, thinking it might make a hilarious YouTube video later.

Danny gulped before replying. "It wasn't my fault you got in trouble. You were the one that interrupted Mr. Lancer and talked back to him. Not me."

"Well, maybe I wouldn't have had to interrupt to state my opinion if you didn't hog all the answers."

"Just leave me alone, Sam. I didn't do anything" Danny said, wanting to get away from the girl.

A smirk crossed the goth's face before she retorted. "You are absolutely right. You didn't do anything. You seem to be very good at that lately. First you lost your chance to have me as your girlfriend because you didn't do anything. Then you didn't do anything when you saw me and my new boyfriend going at it. Most recently, you didn't do anything to stop me taking Tucker from you. Even now, you sit there on the floor, whining like a little bitch and not. Doing, Anything."

"Sh...shut up." Danny stuttered, tears streaming down his eyes as his former friend berated and insulted him.

The crowd around them laughed at his response, increasing the humiliation Danny was feeling.

"Tuck. Please." Danny pleaded, staring at his other best friend.

The black boy stared long and hard at Danny. Taking a deep breath, he replied, "I tried to tell you, Danny. Tried to get you together. Tried to help you out. But you never listened. You were always clueless. Now you just have to deal with the consequences."

Danny was speechless. The last spark of hope he had at getting Tucker back was now snuffed out. He truly was alone now.

Yet Danny's verbal beating wasn't over. Sam picked up where Tucker left off.

"Now, Danny, it seems that you have two options now. Get busy livin' or get busy dyin'. Just make sure that neither of those options involve me."

With that, the goth turned on her heels and walked out of the circle, closely followed by Tucker. Taking that as a sign that the confrontation was over, the crowd began to disperse and head off to break, the few that had recorded the scene already uploading it to the internet. The only person that hadn't moved was Jazz. She had been on the outer edges of the crowd but had heard everything. Several feelings were bussing like flies through her head. First she was enraged at how Sam had humiliated her brother. Second, she was disappointed that Danny had not told her about the falling out he had with his now former best friends. Then she was concerned for Danny himself. How was he taking this recent verbal abuse?

Putting all other thoughts aside, she began pushing through the crowd to find her brother and comfort him. When she got to the center, however, he was nowhere in sight. She frantically searched for him but could not find him among the mass of students. Thinking he must have gone to the cafeteria to sit and think, she hurried down the hall, not knowing that Danny had sneaked away, taking the stairwell to the roof of the school where he was currently letting the tears flow freely from his eyes.

He tried to push back the memories welling up inside him with a sip of the whiskey but they only became more vivid and intense.

In the span of only a few minutes, Sam had completely humiliated him in front of the school and soon the internet. He had nobody. All he could do was wallow in his pity and sorrow.

Thinking about Sam's final words to him, he slowly took two things from his backpack. One was his phone, which he immediately turned on and stated to play some music from. The other was his Plan B. The thing he had hoped he wouldn't have to resort to. Now, however, it seemed like the only rational option as he took another sip of whiskey and began thinking on how he would go about completing the task.

 *****Meanwhile, in the Ghost Zone*****

In the vast green expanse that comprised the Ghost Zone, three spectral ladies sat on one of the many floating islands. In the center was Kitty, a glum look on her face and dressed simply in her black tank top, red mini skirt, and green leggings now that her jacket, scarf, and ring had been destroyed. On her right was one of her girlfriends, Ember McLain. She was in her usual attire but as scowl was on her face. On Kitty's left was her other girlfriend, Penelope Spectra, who was giving her a sympathetic look.

"Seriously, why don't we just go after the two and give that two timing bastard the beating of a lifetime?" Ember asked.

"Because one, he isn't worth it. I don't want anything to do with him anymore. If I try to get back at him, it would only give him a reason to try and spite me in return. And two, his new girlfriend still has some of Danny's ghost tech so they can fight back." Kitty replied.

Ember simply huffed in response.

"What I'm more concerned about is Danny. You girls should have seen him when he left. He seemed broken, like he had given up."

"Yeah, I know what you mean. When I tried fighting babypop last week, he was completely different from his usual self. No jokes. No witty banter. Him and his tech friend seemed to be having a difficult time trying to beat me." Ember said.

Kitty simply nodded and let Ember recount her story.

"Then I see Johnny pull up with the goth riding bitch behind him. She calls out to the geek, saying that she needs him for an important favor. Initially he says no, that he was helping babypop capture me. Then she pulls out a wad of cash from her pocket and waves it around, asking for his help again. This time, the nerd pauses, the thermos in his hands. I see his eyes bulge before giving Danny a look. Babypop pleads with him to stay and help. Then the goth pulls out some device from her other pocket and baits him with it. The nerd takes a couple of glances between the bribe and babypop before finally dropping the thermos and running to the couple and riding off with them. He eventually caught me an hour later and sent me back here but I could tell he was hurt by his friend up and leaving him."

Then a dark look crossed the ghostly rocker's face before she continued. "It wasn't until yesterday when Johnny came into the bar plastered that he told everyone what he and the goth had the geek do."

"What did they do?" Kitty asked.

Sighing, Ember replied, "They paid the geek to hack into the security of babypop's house so they could fuck on his bed. Said they made sure to ruin his sheets and left a little note for him."

Kitty's eyes glowed with rage before she slammed her fists into the rock.

"Damn it! Why do they have to be such assholes to him? Didn't he suffer enough when they forced him and I to watch them fuck?"

"Easy there, girl." Ember soothed, trying to calm her friend down. "Why are you getting all upset about them messing with Phantom?"

Kitty took a deep breath before answering, "Because I don't think he deserved to be treated the way he was and currently is. He needs someone to comfort him. Someone to let him know that there are better people out there for him. Someone..."

"Someone like you?" Ember teased.

Kitty blushed at her friend's joke before slowly nodding, causing the ghosty rocker to gasp.

"So you weren't joking around when you said you enjoyed dating the dipstick."

A small smile came to Kitty's face. "No. It definitely wasn't a joke. What surprised me was that he also enjoyed our time together."

"You sure you aren't just on the rebound right now?"

"Definitely not. I've done some thinking and I would like to have another chance with him."

Snickering, Ember wrapped her arm around her friend and said, "So go find the dipstick and make him yours! Stop moping around and thinking about it."

Kitty giggled and embraced her friend.

"You should hurry." Penelope spoke up.

The two turned to their friend, confusion written on their face.

"Why would you say that?" Kitty asked.

Spectra sighed before speaking up. "Because I have seen and talked to Phantom lately. Bumped into him a few days ago, looking for some misery to consume. So I was surprised when the largest amount of misery was coming from him."

"What did you do to him?" Ember asked.

"He asked me to take away his pain and misery. Said I could take as much as I wanted as long as I didn't make a mess of the town."

"So you used him? You lied about taking his misery away just to keep yourself young and powerful?" Kitty asked, disappointment on her face.

"I told him I couldn't take it away. Explained that all I could do was feed off it. Yet he seemed adamant in having me try. I got my fill but he seemed just as depressed as when we started."

A look of determination came across Kitty's face as she stood up. "Take me to him."

"You won't like what you find." Spectra said as she also got to her feet.

"I don't care. If anyone can help him out of this funk he is it, it would be the person that had to endure exactly what he did."

"I'll go to. With the three of us, I'm sure we can help him." Ember said as she joined her friends.

Spectra grabbed both of their hands. "Alright. Hopefully he is where I met him the last time."

With that, Penelope teleported the three of them in a sickly whirlwind of mucus.

 *****Roof of Casper High*****

As the three spectral ladies exited the slimy twister, Ember had to hold back her lunch from coming back up.

"That is the most disgusting teleport power I have ever used." the ghostly rocker said.

"Beggars can't be choosers." Spectra retorted as they surveyed the roof.

As they looked around, they could hear the faint sound of music playing.

 _And it's been awhile_

 _Since I could hold my head up high_

 _And it's been awhile_

 _Since I first saw you_

Walking forward and around one of the air units, they found a miserable site. There was Danny, sitting on the edge of the roof, just polishing off the remainder of a bottle of Jack Daniels before letting it drop and shatter into dozens of pieces between his feet. His eyes were bloodshot, tears flowing in rivers down either side of his face. On his left, his phone was out and playing the music they had heard. In his right hand, he was gripping some thin object. Exactly what, they couldn't tell.

 _And it's been awhile_

 _Since I could stand on my own two feet again_

 _And it's been awhile_

 _Since I could call you_

"Danny?" Kitty asked cautiously.

The boy groggily looked up at his guests.

"Hey Kitty, Ember, Spectra. Surprised to see you here." he mumbled, his voice slightly slurred.

"I...I wanted to see you. See how you have been since...well..."

"Since Sam and Johnny dumped us." Danny finished.

"Yeah." Kitty replied softly.

 _And everything I can't remember_

 _As fucked up as it all may seem_

 _The consequences that I've rendered_

 _I've stretched myself beyond my means_

"Why have you started drinking?" Kitty said, trying to change the subject and get to the bottom of his current situation.

"Trying to forget. Trying to stop the memories of that day and today from playing over and over in my head. But they won't stop. They keep coming back and it hurts so much."

"I know what you mean, Danny. It hurt me as well but alcohol isn't the way to solve your problems."

"Not anymore." Danny replied. "I finished the bottle but the memories are still clear as day."

 _And it's been awhile_

 _Since I can say that I wasn't addicted_

 _And it's been awhile_

 _Since I can say I love myself as well_

"What happened today?" she asked, not looking forward to the answer.

"I tried hoping for a good day. I really did. But Sam sent me dirty pictures of her and Johnny when I woke up. Then she and Tuck decided to drive past my house with Johnny. Just now, Sam humiliated me in front of the school because she got a detention in Mr. Lancer's class. Said that I don't do anything. That because I don't do anything, I lost my chance with her, I didn't fight back, and I didn't stop Tucker from leaving."

"You can't listen to her Danny. She is just trying to spite you. To hurt you." Kitty said, angry at what Sam had been doing to Danny.

 _And it's been awhile_

 _Since I've gone and fucked things up just like I always do_

 _And it's been awhile_

 _But all that shit seems to disappear when I'm with you_

"She is right, though." Danny said. "I didn't, couldn't do anything. And now I'm alone" he said before shakily getting to his feet.

 _And everything I can't remember_

"She did say one last thing though." he continued, looking at the object in his hand.

 _As fucked up as it all may seem_

"What? What did she say?" Kitty asked, needing to know the answer.

 _The consequences that I've rendered_

"Get busy livin'," he said, flipping open the object to reveal it to be a straight razor. "or get busy dyin'."

 _I've gone and fucked things up again_

Without another word, Danny brought the razor to his left wrist and made a cut. Blood began to flow freely out of his veins and down his fingertips in thin, red rivers.

The girls had several different reactions to this. Spectra suddenly glowed red, her powers kicking in at the sudden burst of power she was receiving. Ember doubled over and vomited, unable to take the sight before her. Kitty fell to her knees as tears welled up in her eyes.

 _Why must I feel this way?_

Danny raised the knife again and made a second cut slightly above the first. More blood flowed, dripping to the ground and forming a small pool near his feet.

Spectra felt another burst of energy rush through her. At the rate she was consuming misery, it would be too much for her to control.

"I'm sorry Kitty. I can't take much more." Penelope apologized before teleporting away.

Ember was shaking now, unable to believe what was happening before her.

"Stop. Please." Kitty silently begged as tears fell from her eyes.

 _Just make this go away_

His hands shaking now, he switched the knife to his left hand before making his third cut on his right wrist. He was becoming pale now from the blood loss. It didn't help that the alcohol in his blood was only making him bleed faster.

Ember couldn't take anymore. She hated to see anyone, even her enemy, take their life in front of her. Getting up, she said, "Help him, Kitty." before teleporting away as well.

Kitty heard her friend but was having difficulty telling her body to get up and stop Danny from harming himself.

 _Just one more peaceful day!_

For the fourth and final time, Danny brought the razor down, making it an even two cuts on each arm. Swaying from side to side from the combine factors of blood loss and alcohol, he dropped the razor. He stumbled backwards, gripping the edge of the roof for support.

Once the razor fell, Kitty shakily got to her feet and started walking towards the broken boy.

"Please, Danny. Let me help you." Kitty cried.

"Why...would you...do that?" he asked, his eyes beginning to droop.

"Because I care for you. I don't want to see you die." she replied.

Then tears began to fall from Danny's eyes. How could he be so foolish? How could he have not seen that Kitty had come to help him before he began cutting? Was it too late for him now? Was he too far gone? Was there a way he could recover and accept her help? Or had she come too late? Had his thoughts and pain consumed him so much that he had lost his rational thinking?

 _And it's been awhile_

 _Since I could hold my head up high_

 _And it's been awhile_

 _Since I said I'm sorry_

"Kitty..." Danny said, trying his best to answer her. "I'm...I'm sorry. I wish I...would have known...sooner."

But as the words escaped his mouth, he felt the darkness close in around him. His body going limp, he fell backwards off the edge of the roof.


	3. How They Saved His Life

**Chapter 3: How They Saved His Life**

 **Hello again. It has been quite a while since I last wrote for this story. Admittedly, I've had a little trouble getting back into the mindset required for this story, at least for this chapter. Now, however, I feel comfortable enough to begin again. Check out my page for a new story poll I have set up. I do not own Danny Phantom. R &R and Enjoy.**

 *****Clockwork's Realm, 30 Minutes before Danny's Fall*****

Vlad Plasmius was astonished at what he was viewing. Initially, he had expected there to be a minor problem going on in the life of Daniel Fenton. Perhaps family trouble, school problems, or even a minor quarrel with one of his friends. Therefore, he was unprepared for the humiliation, degradation, and rejection that the boy had received. This initial astonishment was soon replaced by outrage. He had thought that his loss of Maddie was a tragedy. Now though, his loss paled in comparison to what Daniel had endured. Ms. Manson had literally spat in the boys face after he had confessed his feelings.

Yet there was one thing that bothered Vlad. The boy's reaction. Why hadn't the boy retaliated? Why hadn't he tried to seek revenge?

"Two reasons." Clockwork spoke up, almost as if he knew exactly what Vlad was going to ask. "First is that deep down, there is a portion of Daniel's heart that still loves and cares for Ms. Manson."

Vlad grudgingly nodded. In a way, he understood this love. Though he hated Jack for the accident and for taking Maddie from him, there was a small part of him that remembered the good times they had shared back in college. Whether it be research, football, or simply hanging out with him and Maddie, they did have some excellent memories.

"The second?" The elder halfa asked.

"He has realized something you haven't" The ghost of time answered.

Vlad raised an eyebrow at this.

"What would that be?"

His answer was peculiar, to say the least.

"Have you ever listened to the band The Rolling Stones?" Clockwork asked.

"Yes..." He replied, his eyebrow raised. "What is the point you are trying to make?

"I believe it was Mick Jagger who said it best with the line, 'You can't always get what you want.'" The ghost of time said.

"What are you..."

"What I mean is that Daniel, unlike you, has now realized that no matter how much he wants Ms. Manson ad her affections, he will never receive them in return."

Now Vlad was shaking with rage at the implications. Surely he must be wrong. There was always a means of obtaining what he wanted. He simply had yet to discover it in the case of Maddie's love. Surely once he discovered the method, he could assist Daniel in his problems with Ms. Manson.

"No." Clockwork said simply.

"Why the Hell not?" Vlad yelled at the ghost. "There must be a way both he and I can get what we want. There is always an option!"

Clockwork just gave him an impassive look.

"I have seen every plan you make, Vlad Masters. Past, present, and future. With those, I have also seen the infinitesimal outcomes that come with each of your plans. In none of them do you ever receive Maddie or her love. You have and always will fail. Sometimes comically as you have experienced with young Daniel. Sometimes painfully. Other times, fatally. The same would apply to Daniel if he had gone the route of revenge that you have taken."

Gone. In that instance, all of Vlad's anger and resentment had been crushed by the overwhelming sense of defeat. The irrational side wanted to continue the argument with the ghost of time yet his analytical side knew that what the ghost said was truth. To think, he had wasted so much time, so much money on his revenge plot, on his desire to have Maddie, only to be informed by Clockwork that no matter what he did, no matter what variables he changed, he would never obtain what he wanted.

For the first time in his life, Vlad Masters felt worthless. His main goal in life was now meaningless.

"Now you know how Daniel feels." The ghost of time said. "Now you understand his current mindset."

Vlad did not know what to do. He had no more tears to shed. He had given them all to his loss or Maddie and his frustration at Jack. He had lost his anger. That seemed to have burned up after this latest revelation. All that remained was the hollow shell of a man and his vast fortune.

"Before you go, there is one last task I have for you." Clockwork said, breaking Vlad from his musings.

"What?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Clockwork simply motioned forward with his staff, where a portal appeared.

"Step through and discover for yourself."

Vlad peered though the portal. From the looks, it appeared to be the front of Casper High. Why he would want him there, Vlad did not know.

"This is it?" Vlad asked solemnly. "After this, I won't visit you again?"

"No." Clockwork replied, his face composed in his usual stoic look.

Vlad sighed before gliding through the portal. He quickly transitioned back into his human form before turning back to the portal.

For whatever reason, it remained open with Clockwork standing in front of it.

"Remember. 'If you try sometimes, you just might find you get what you need.'" The ghost of time said before the portal closed.

Vlad simply shook his head. Cryptic as always. What he wanted. What he needed. He always thought them the same thing. Whatever the case, he would figure out why he had been sent here before returning to his mansion and reevaluating his life. Unfortunately, there was little he could think of that needed reevaluating. He had no friends or companions. No family to speak of. It was just him, his money, and his cat.

Temporarily pushing these gloomy thoughts from his head, he straightened his tie before walking up the steps to the school. Everything seemed to be in order. Class was still in session and very few civilians were out about town at this time.

When he was ten feet from the front doors, however, out came Jazz Fenton, Daniel's older sister. She seemed not to notice him immediately. Instead, she was frantically looking around, as if she was searching for someone.

"Danny! Danny, where are you?" The red haired teen called, worry written all over her face.

Daniel, Vlad thought. Had something happened to him during his visit to Clockworks? Something more devastating than what he had already experienced?

It was then that Jazz turned to face Vlad. Her look of worry vanished, replaced by one of hatred and conviction. It was frightening how much of her mother she had inherited, Vlad pondered.

"You." She growled. "Where is my brother?"

"Has something happened to Daniel?" he inquired.

"Don't give me that bull shit." Jazz hissed. "Something is wrong with my brother and I think you have something to do with it."

Vlad needed a moment to compose himself. After all, Jazz Fenton NEVER cursed. So something must have happened in school to bring her to this state.

"I assure you that I have not harmed your brother in any way. As a matter of fact, he visited me earlier today."

This didn't seem to satiate Jazz's anger. "And why would Danny willingly visit you?"

Vlad hesitated, wondering if he should tell the eldest Fenton sibling about how Daniel sympathized with him on his feelings of loss. Deciding not, he said, "He asked me to neutralize his ghost powers for the day."

"And why would he ask for something like that?" The sister demanded.

"He refused to say."

Not satisfied with his answer, Jazz walked up to him until her face was inches from his, a scowl on her face.

"I don't know what sick game you are playing," She said, jabbing her finger into his chest. "But it needs to end. My brother has endured enough today and he does not need any more..."

But it was then that Jazz felt something drop onto her hand, almost like a raindrop. This was quite odd seeing as how it was bright and sunny out and not a cloud in the sky. Looking down, she was slightly confused to see instead of clear water, it was crimson. Her mind cycled though possible explanations. It seemed too thin for paint and she did not hear of any plans to paint the school if that were the case. There was nobody outside the school besides the two of them so it couldn't be a stray drop from a drink. Then where could the strange drop have come from?

Both she and Vlad looked up and caught a faint glimpse of someone on the roof. Taking a step back to get a better angle, they saw it appeared to be a boy with a mess of black hair and a white T-shirt on.

"Danny?" Jazz whispered. Curious, she brought her hand to her nose to get a whiff of whatever had fallen on her. The smell horrified her.

Blood.

The metallic smell stung her nostrils. Sickened her to the stomach.

Glancing back up, she saw her brother's arms painted red, drops coming off his finger tips and sprinkling the pavement below.

"DANNY!" Jazz screamed up to him, desperately trying to get his attention.

Vlad was quickly able to deduce what was happening from the sister's reaction and by looking at Daniel on the roof. It was truly a mortifying sight. What made it hurt even more was that Vlad knew he had unknowingly aided the boy in his suicide attempt. It seems the ghost of time was right. He wouldn't get what he wanted. He had actually brought about the downfall of his own plans. Shaking his head, he decided now was not the time to contemplate his ruined plans. Now was the time to try and atone for at least one of his greatest mistakes.

"Danny! Please!" Jazz pleaded, trying to grab the attention of her brother. Yet it was of no use. Whether Danny was too high for her voice to reach her or he simply refused to acknowledge her, Danny remained on the edge of the building.

Then, to both Jazz and Vlad's horror, they saw Danny fall backwards off the building.

"NO!" Jazz yelled.

"DANNY!" another voice called from on the roof.

To the two onlooker's surprise they saw another figure rush to the edge of the roof as Danny began his decent. It was difficult to make out but Jazz thought the person looked like Kitty.

The figure put their hand to their mouth before swiftly taking it away, almost as if they were blowing someone a kiss. Once the gesture was complete, they saw a spectral set of lips flying towards Danny.

Jazz turned away, not wanting to see her little brother's body crash onto the pavement. She waited for the sickening splat on concrete.

One-second.

Two-seconds.

Three-seconds.

The wait was becoming unbearable yet Jazz did not wish to have the image forever burned into mind.

Then something broke the silence. It wasn't the sickening sound of bone breaking or the splatter of flesh. It was the delicate sound of feet landing on pavement and gentle sobbing.

Deciding to open her eyes, Jazz turned to the origin of the sound.

There, on the concrete, weeping on her hand and knees, was Kitty. Tears were streaming down her face while her body spasmed with each breath she took. There was now sign of her brother except for the patches of blood that littered the sidewalk.

"Is...is he safe?" Jazz asked hesitantly.

Kitty shakily stood up before facing Jazz.

"He will be okay as long as he remains banished. He still needs help and I can't keep him banished forever." She replied.

Nodding, Jazz walked over to the ghost before pulling her into a tight embrace. Kitty stiffened at the gesture, unsure on how to react.

"Thank you for saving my brother." Jazz said.

"I wanted to stop him but I was too stunned. I didn't know how to react so I just watched." Kitty whimpered.

"You saved him." The elder Fenton sibling reassured. "Right now, that is all that matters."

Kitty nodded her head before they separated.

"He needs medical attention." She said shakily. "He lost enough blood to pass out."

Nodding, Jazz turned to Vlad, a determined look in her eyes.

"Is it safe to assume that you have the proper medical equipment in your lab to help patch up Danny?"

Vlad simply nodded.

"Good. We'll patch him up then figure out how to tell my parents."

With that, Vlad transformed into his ghostly half before picking the girl up by the arms and leading Kitty towards him mansion. Once there, the three phased into his lab.

Jazz was quick to prepare a bed for him while Vlad quickly powered down and prepared the necessary equipment for patching up his cuts and preparing a blood transfusion.

 *****3 Hours Later*****

Everything was foggy. His eyelids seemed to weigh a ton and his thoughts were as murky as swamp water. The only thing he was currently certain of was that he was alive, in some form or another. He currently had no murderous intentions or a desire to rip out Vlad's ghost half and fuse with it, meaning he hadn't completely gone ghost. The thought of him still being alive started to solidify as he felt a dull, throbbing pain on both his wrists.

Slowly, everything started to come back to him. He had gone to the roof after Sam had humiliated him in front of the crowd of onlookers. Somehow he had downed the remainder of his parents liquor without passing out or throwing it back up. He remembered how desperate he had felt to make the heartache and pain go away. He remembered Kitty, Ember, and Spectra approaching him on the roof top, trying to calm him. Yet still he took out the straight razor and sliced both his wrists open. Then when everything began to turn black, he remembered Kitty saying that she cared for him. Was she telling him the truth? Did she really care for him? Danny hoped that he could find out.

Once he felt strong enough, Danny slowly opened his eyes. Looking around, he did not know where he was. The medical equipment and bed was hospital quality, yet the room itself was furnished lavishly. There were leather visitor chairs, a large flatscreen television, decorative plants, and expensive looking paintings.

Just then, Jazz entered the room. She appeared to be exhausted and she had a bandaid on her right arm over her vein. When she saw that he was awake, her eyes welled up with tears before she rushed over and hugged him fiercely.

"Danny!" She sobbed into him. "Thank God you're okay!"

After getting over the initial shock of seeing his sister, he slowly wrapped his arms around her. There was a shuffle of feet coming from the doorway. As the two separated, Danny saw Kitty standing there, here eyes bloodshot and trails of mascara running down her face.

"Glad to see you awake." She said as she sat next to his bed while Jazz stood next to her.

"Where am I?" He asked.

"Vlad's mansion." His sister replied. "We were able to get you to the lab and transfuse some of my blood into you so you could replace the blood you lost."

He slowly nodded his head before speaking again.

"How did I survive the fall? I blacked out right as I felt myself going over the edge."

"I...I saved you." Kitty said softly, fidgeting a little in her chair. "I used my banishing kiss on you before you hit the ground then brought you back so we could patch you up."

"So where is Vlad? Why isn't he with you two?"

Jazz let out a huff. "He is in his study, 'Thinking about recent events.' Or so he claims. I hope he feels guilty for taking away your ghost powers."

"Don't be mad at him." Danny replied, sitting up his bed to better talk to the two. "I asked him to do it."

This only made his sister even more angry. "Why? Why did you ask him to take your powers away?"

Here it comes, Danny though. The grand interrogation his sister was sure to start.

"Why would you decide to commit suicide? Didn't you think about me or mom and dad when you decided to slit your wrists? Why didn't you talk to anyone if you were having these feelings?" Jazz asked, desperately wanting to understand why her brother had come to the conclusion that he did.

Danny simply gave her a somber look before finding intense interest with his bed sheets. This is what he feared. The questions. Truthfully, he didn't want to answer because he didn't think Jazz would understand nor did he wish to relive the painful memories.

"Jazz." Kitty spoke up, causing the elder Fenton sibling to pause in her interrogation. "Could you give Danny and I a couple of minutes alone?"

Jazz was about to decline yet after looking at Kitty's pleading eyes and her brother's reluctance to answer, she sighed before nodding her head and exiting the room.

Once the door closed, the two let out a sigh of relief.

"I love my sister but I can hardly talk to her when she gets like that." Danny spoke up.

"I can tell." Kitty chuckled, looking up at the black haired teen.

A ghost of a smile crossed his lips before he glanced over at Kitty.

"Are you feeling any better?" She asked.

"My arms are sore and I still have a terrible headache." He replied.

Kitty simply nodded in acceptance.

"I do appreciate you saving my life." Danny continued. "I just hope things don't get that bad again where I..."

 ***SMACK***

Danny head jerked to the side at the force of the strike. His cheek stung and his jaw was sore. Turning back, he saw Kitty breathing heavily.

"Don't." She said, her body shaking as she spoke. "Don't even think about doing it again. Escaping from the problem will never solve it.

After getting over the initial shock, he spoke. "I don't want to deal with it. I don't want to even think about the problem because of how much it hurts."

Kitty sighed before getting up from her chair to sit next to him on the bed.

"I know it hurts. I may not have been around for the other indignities that Sam and Johnny inflicted upon you but I was there when this whole mess started. Did it hurt seeing the one I had loved cheat on me? Yes. But I knew that I needed to move on and not dwell on the past if I wanted things to get better."

"I lost so much, though." Danny said as tears spilled from his eyes. "I lost my friends. My parents were too busy to listen to me. I knew Jazz would overreact if I brought it up to her. Then I was humiliated in front of the school. I had nobody. I was alone."

Kitty wrapped her arms around him before bringing his head to rest on her bosom. With her right hand, she ran her fingers through his unruly black hair. With her left, she gently rubbed his back.

"You're wrong." She cooed in his ear. "You are loved. Your parents love you, even when they are busy. Your sister loves you, despite her overbearing attitude. And...and...I love you."

Danny continued to cry as he contemplated Kitty's words. He knew his parents loved him. When they were free from work they showed their affection to him. He knew his sister loved him, even if she sometimes had a difficult way of showing it. It was the last one that got him, though.

"Do...do you really love me?" He asked.

"Yes." She replied. "I loved our time together before you convinced me to return to Johnny. I loved you enough to go and find you today after hearing about the terrible things that had recently happened to you. I loved you so much that I wanted to save you. To give you another chance at life. To prove to them that you are stronger than their insults. To have a second chance to be with you."

Danny had no words. He hadn't expected her to love him like this. To confess her feelings for him in such a way. All he could do was cry. He wept over the bitter memories of Sam, Tuck, and Johnny. He wept for the people he had hurt by trying to killing himself. Finally, he wept at knowing that people loved him enough to want him to stay alive.

Kitty simply continued with her ministrations. She knew that he needed this. To let it all out. She didn't know how long he cried. When she heard him stop and heard the slow, methodical intake and exhale of his breath, she knew he had fallen asleep. She set him gently back onto the bed before crawling in beside him.

 *****Vlad's Study*****

As Vlad poured his third cognac, he once again went over the events that had transpired today. His meeting with Daniel. His understanding of his relationship pain. Neutralizing his powers. Going to Clockwork and discovering the terrible indecencies Daniel had endured. The revelation the ghost of time had imparted on him that he would never attain Maddie's affection. Witnessing Daniel's attempted suicide. Finally, how he patched up Daniel and set up the blood transfusion between him and his sister.

Taking a sip, he felt numerous emotions. Guilty for indirectly causing Daniel to attempt suicide. Relief that he had managed to help him recover from his attempt. Lost, because he could not foresee a purpose to his life anymore. Lonely, because he had abandoned his friends and made countless enemies to attain his now impossible goal.

What was there to do? There was no point in continuing to be mayor. No point in continuing his fight with Daniel. There was nothing left for him.

Just then, in a disgusting whirlwind of green slime, there appeared Penelope Spectra.

"To what do I owe the pleasure of your presence?" Vlad asked.

The misery ghost gave the room a quick look over before replying.

"I came to check on Kitty to see if she was able to help Danny."

"He's healing up." He replied. "We were able to patch up his wounds and perform a blood transfusion. Kitty and his sister have been keeping watch over him."

"Oh." Penelope said, giving Vlad a look over. "Why aren't you with them?"

Vlad sighed, rubbing his temples before answering.

"I needed some time alone to think."

"What about?" Spectra asked, slowly walking towards the empty chair next to him and sitting down.

"Recent events and the future." He said before taking another sip of cognac.

"Would you like to talk about it?" She asked.

"In short, I indirectly helped Daniel go through with his suicide attempt. I not only learned of the hardships Daniel has endured but I was also told that I will never woo the women that I love. I witness Daniel nearly fall to his death. Finally, I patch him up to try and atone for the mistake I made."

"My. That is quite a lot of things weighing you down." Penelope said.

"Indeed." Vlad replied.

"So...where is it?" The misery ghost asked, giving him an all knowing look.

"I don't know what you are talking about." The elder halfa replied, refusing to meet her eyes.

Spectra simply chuckled. "You can play dumb all you want but my doctorate in psychology tells me otherwise."

Letting out a sigh, Vlad pointed to a rectangular wooden box on the small table that was sitting next to his decanter of cognac. Penelope picked up and set it in her lap before opening it.

"Dirty Harry fan, I see." She said, pulling out the .44 Magnum from the velvet lined box.

"Unfortunately it is no longer the World's Most Powerful Handgun." He mused.

"Still." Penelope chuckled as she placed it back in the box and closed the lid. "It would blow your head clean off."

"That was the point." Vlad said flatly as he downed the last of his drink.

"Do you really feel life has become meaningless?" Spectra asked.

"To use the quote Clockwork told me, 'You can't always get what you want.' All my life, I have tried to gain the affection of one women. Today when I was told by a being second only to God that I will never have her no matter what I do, life does seem meaningless."

Penelope simply chuckled before patting his knee. "I believe that the line continues to say 'If you try sometimes, you just might find you get what you need.' How do you know life is meaningless if you don't see it all the way through? Maybe there is a better woman than her out there, waiting for you."

Vlad sighed. Even in his inebriated state, he saw the truth in her words.

"I can't fault you on that logic." He conceded.

"That's why they gave me the doctorate." She replied cheekily. "So what are you planning on doing now?"

"Maybe see if I can right some of the wrongs I have done. Give some aid to Daniel in his struggle. Hopefully find someone new along the way." Vlad said.

Penelope smiled.

"That's as good a start as any."

 **Author's Note: I don't usually write an Author's note at the end of my chapters but I feel compelled to write one for this chapter. I said in the first chapter of this story that I had two reasons for writing this story. One was because you the fans voted for this story. My second reason is because I have been battling depression. Even during the writing of this chapter I felt it. Still feel it. I'm afraid of being alone and helpless. Of thinking that nobody will understand these thoughts running through my head, telling me that it would be so much easier to end it all now rather than continue. Yet here I am. I know that I'm not alone. I have friends that love me. I have family that loves me. I know that God loves me. Do I occasionally have suicidal thoughts now and then? Yes. But I keep going because I know that tomorrow is a new day and sure to bring new experiences. So to you readers that are having the same thoughts, I beg you to keep going. You are not alone. You are strong. You are brave. You have people that love and care for you. God will always love and care for you. I will love and care for you. Please, don't give up. Keep going.**


	4. The Day Danny Tried to Live

**Chapter 4: The Day Danny Tried to Live**

 **Hello again, readers. For the most part, things have been going well for me if my most recent chapter posts have anything to say about it. Things come up every so often but I've been able to keep going. If I may say, Thank you all for your encouragement and kind words. I truly feel blessed knowing that there are people, even complete strangers, that wish me to keep going and not give up. As for the story, things will be going relatively up hill. There will still be some dark moments here and there. I do not own Danny Phantom. R &R and Enjoy!**

 *****The Next Day, 7 AM, Vlad's Mansion*****

Peaceful. That was the only way that could describe how Danny slept. For the first time in what seemed like eternity, he didn't worry about Sam being with Johnny or whether today might be his last. Words could not describe how calm and relaxed he now felt.

Letting out a tremendous yawn, he slowly opened his eyes and took in his surroundings. The first thing he noticed was that he was not in his bedroom. He was puzzled by this at first before he remembered the events of the previous day. A shiver passed through his body at the memories. Waking up to Sam's lewd texts. Walking to school before deciding to have his powers deactivated by Vlad. Sam's implications during class and later he taunts in the hallway. Thinking about it now, he came to the realization that while he thought drinking away the memories would aid him, it actually hurt him. Clouded his rational thinking while making the irrational thoughts seem acceptable. Hindsight is 20/20, Danny mused.

From there, things seemed like a blur. Drinking until he finished the bottle then stewing in his misery. When Kitty, Spectra, and Ember came around, he had already made up his mind. He couldn't see an end to the pain and emptiness he felt. Ironically, he found someone that seemed to understand his pain and didn't want him to end it all just as he was passing out. Whether it was Kitty's fast reflexes, luck, the grace of God, or a combination of the three, she had saved him. It was both a relieving and a humbling experience for him. Relieving to know that someone cared. Humbling because of the reprimand he received from both her and his sister.

In the end, Danny was simply glad to be alive right now.

Breaking from his reverie, his other senses began to wake. It was then that he felt a pair of arms lightly wrapped around his middle, light breathing on the back of his neck, and someone nuzzling into his upper back. It only took him a second to realize that the person that was sleeping with him was Kitty. She must have dozed off with him.

"Mmm...Danny." Kitty mumbled in her sleep, tightening her grip around his waist while adjust her head from his back to his shoulder. While he hadn't experienced something like this before, he certainly found it pleasant. Slowly, gently, Danny let his fingers glide up and down her smooth, light blue skin. Then came a sound Danny hadn't expected as his ministrations continued.

Kitty purred.

Well, not so much a real purr but a moan that definitely sounded feline. Her cheek started to nuzzle his while one of her legs began to move up and down his.

"You having fun?" She asked, slightly startling Danny as he flinched at the sound of her voice.

"I'm sorry. I thought..."

"I was still asleep?" Kitty finished for him. Sitting up, she looked down and giggled at the embarrassed look on his face.

"You don't need to be sorry. I actually liked it." She said before helping the boy into a seated position.

"How are you feeling?"

"Better. Refreshed. Relaxed, even." Danny replied, a small smile twitching at the corner of his mouth.

"Glad to hear." The green haired ghost replied, pulling the black haired teenager into an embrace.

Danny found that he greatly enjoyed being in Kitty's arms. He felt the care and comfort she had for him through this simple gesture.

Unfortunately, the moment was broken when Danny heard he phone go off, signifying that he had received a text message. Kitty could tell what he received was something neither pleasant nor wanted from the way his smile disappeared.

"Can I see your phone?" She asked.

Danny looked at her, giving her a questioning gaze.

"Please." Kitty said. "Trust me."

Slowly, Danny nodded before handing his phone to the green haired ghost.

Taking the cellular device, she opened up his messenger to see what he had received. What she saw disgusted her.

"I can't believe she has stooped to petty insults such as this." Kitty scoffed as she skimmed through the pornographic pictures the goth teenager had sent to Danny in order to garner a reaction from him. Going through his messaging history, she saw that he had tried sending apologies for any perceived wrongs he may have committed against Sam for a week after he had found her with Johnny. Then she began replying to him with her lewd pictures to rub salt in his already open wound.

Biting back the insults she had for the girl, she pressed a few buttons on his phone before handing it back to Danny.

"Here is where we start to help you get back on your feet." Kitty said to Danny. "First, you need to delete her messages and her number from your phone."

The boy looked appalled by her suggestion.

Sighing, Kitty asked, "How much did it hurt to open your messages just to find her teasing you like this?"

Danny didn't say anything, opting to take interest in his bedsheets. Truth be told, those texts and pictures Sam had sent had been torture to wake up to. Everyday he had seen new messages from her, hoping that they would be apologies for her actions. Yet they were just more lewd pictures of her and Johnny. Definition of insanity, he thought. The same thing happening over and over again and him hoping something would change.

Did he still have hope that Sam would come around?

Yes.

Is Kitty currently trying to help him out with his situation?

Yes.

Who should he put his faith in?

Sam or Kitty?

This definitely wasn't an easy decision for him to make. Part of him would always want to retain the previous friendship he had maintained with Sam up until the shit hit the fan. Yet he understood, albeit grudgingly, that she had lost her romantic feelings for him. As for Kitty, she had originally dated Danny while disguised as Paulina so as to get back at Johnny for his unfaithfulness. Yet he didn't push her away when he discovered the truth. He had actually enjoyed his time with her until Johnny had tricked him into getting the two of them back together. Currently, Kitty seems to have gotten over the breakup between her and Johnny and wanted a genuine relationship with Danny if her saving his life was any indication.

He closed his eyes, allowing a single tear to fall before he pressed the button to delete all the messages and Sam's phone number.

"Was it easy?" Kitty asked.

Danny simply shook his head.

Gently, she cupped his chin and lifted it towards her face. Opening his eyes, he saw the green haired ghost giving him a reassuring smile.

"This is the first step on a long journey to recovery. I know this may not seem like much but you are one step closer to getting better."

With that, she brushed away the tear he had shed before leaning in and planting her lips on his. Danny was shocked by her initiative. He knew she had feelings for him but he hadn't expected her to be so bold in making the first move. Still, for his first kiss, it was truly amazing. Her lips were soft and gentle. Occasionally she would nibble on his lower lip playfully. When he did the same to her, he got the taste of cherry from her lipstick. He moaned with pleasure. Kitty surprised him again when her tongue entered his mouth, dancing with his.

Their make out session was cut short by a cough at the door. They quickly separated and saw Jazz standing in the door frame.

"I was going to wake you up but it seems Kitty beat me to it." The red head said, an amused smile on her face. "Breakfast is ready. You good to make it to the dining room?"

Danny's cheeks were a deep shade of red and he couldn't meet his sister's eyes.

"Yeah. I'll see you in a couple of minutes."

Nodding her head, the eldest Fenton sibling left the two alone.

"Whoops. Guess I got a little carried away." Kitty chuckled.

Danny grinned. "Yeah." He replied.

Once she calmed down, Danny's smiled slowly slipped off his face. "I was wondering if...you know...are we...?" He said, stumbling through his words, unsure of how to broach the subject.

"Yes." She replied.

"Yes?" He asked, unsure if she understood what he was trying to say.

Kitty giggled before resting a hand on his cheek. "Yes we are in a relationship now. I've made up my mind and have decided that I want you."

He gave her a small smile and leaned into her hand. "I'm fairly new to the whole relationship thing. I hope you don't mind."

"Don't worry. We'll take things slow for a while. We need to get you back on your feet first before we can worry about what to expect between the two of us.

Nodding, Danny got up out of bed and walked over to where his clothes were neatly folded. Thankfully he still had his boxers on underneath the hospital gown but he was still a little self conscious about his body. Grabbing the pile, he walked towards the privacy screen the room had and began to change.

"I know this might earn me another hit from you but I'm not looking forward to school today." He said as he pulled his jeans on.

Kitty sighed.

"I never said that this would be easy. This process isn't an overnight thing. Sam will still try to goad a reaction from you, as she has proven this morning. Sometimes I can help you overcome her taunts but I can't fight all your battles for you, Danny. There will come a time when you need to make some tough choices on your own. But know that no matter what happens, I'll be there for you. Jazz will be there for you. Ember, Penelope, and Vlad will be there for you."

That eased Danny's mind. He wouldn't be alone in this situation. There were people that cared for him and wanted him to keep going.

After tying his shoelaces, he walked out from behind the curtain to face Kitty.

"Umm...What do I do about the bandages?" He asked, indicating the gauze wrapped around both his wrists.

"Leave them on and don't answer any questions people may ask about them." Kitty replied as she got off the be and pulled him into a warm embrace. "Come on. The others are waiting for us downstairs."

Minutes later, the two entered the mansion's dining room where Vlad, Jazz, and Penelope were already enjoying their breakfast. Danny pulled out a chair for Kitty before taking a seat next to his sister. They sat in silence for a few moments, only the sound cutlery being used. To Danny, he appreciated it. He didn't feel like talking about the events of yesterday. For now, he just wanted to have some semblance of his normal/abnormal life back.

After breakfast, Vlad offered to take the two Fentons to school. Jazz said "Sure." while Danny simply nodded his head. The three plus Kitty stood up and made their way to the mansion's large garage. Various sports cars, muscle cars, and stretch limos made up the vast collection. Jumping into a modest sedan, the four made their way to Casper High.

"Shall I turn on the radio?" Vlad asked, wanting to break up the awkward silence that had formed as soon as they got onto the streets.

Danny shook his head before resting it on Kitty's shoulder.

Vlad let out a sigh. He was trying his best to make up for his actions yesterday. Sure, he didn't know what Daniel's intentions were when he asked him to nullify his powers for a day. Still, the guilt weighed heavily on him.

Suddenly, a motorcycle swerved in front of the sedan, nearly hitting them. Irritated, Vlad blared the horn at the bike. To his surprise, he saw that the rider was none other than Johnny 13 with Ms. Manson behind him. The spectral biker gave him the finger before speeding off.

"Let it go." Kitty said. "He likes to show off and ride recklessly. Even when I was with him he did't care all that much for the safety of himself or others."

"I hope he gets whats coming to him." Jazz said venomously.

The rest of the ride to school was silent. Danny sat quietly, his head resting on the biker girl's shoulder. Kitty was looking out the window while gently running her fingers through the boy's hair. Jazz was pretending to be typing away on her phone when in reality she was thinking on how best to handle the situation with the two wannabe Judases. Finally, Vlad was silently contemplating how best to improve the boy's.

Reaching the high school, Vlad parked the sedan and walked with the two Fenton towards the building.

"Can you stay? Just for today?" Danny asked Kitty as she floated beside him.

The green haired ghost gave him a warm smile before nodding her head.

"I'll be by you side all day." She said before going invisible and taking his left hand.

Entering Casper High, the small group noticed the students milling around the halls turned their attention towards them and became silent. They moved out of their way as they stopped first at Jazz's locker and then Danny's.

The hush that had fallen over the students was ominous and slightly disturbing. Not a whisper could be heard nor a breath being taken. It wasn't until Danny closed his locker that something happened.

"Hey Jazz. Tuck and I didn't see you all afternoon yesterday." Sam said, walking up to the group with Tucker following closely behind.

Jazz remained tight lipped, not even looking at the goth girl or acknowledging her statement.

"So what happened? Follow your bitch of a brother home after the verbal lashing I gave him yesterday?" Sam continued, a smirk crossing her face.

The elder Fenton sibling began to clench and unclench her fists, her frustration slowly building.

"Now, now, Jasmine." Vlad said, resting a hand on the redhead's shoulder. "You shouldn't stoop to her level. No matter how much she deserves it."

"Big talk coming from a poor excuse of a mayor that is lusting after his best friend's wife." The goth retorted.

Then Vlad did something nobody expected. He began to laugh. Not a jolly one but one of both sarcasm and condescension.

"My dear Ms. Manson." The elder halfa said, turning to Sam. "There will come a day where you too will realize that you gave your heart to the wrong person. It might not be now. It might not be till years or decades down the line. But you will. And when that day comes, you'll know that you willingly pushed away everything you held dear for a chance to obtain the unobtainable."

With that, he, Jazz, Danny, and a still invisible Kitty walked away.

"Wow, Vlad. That was amazing!" Jazz said. "How did you come up with that on the fly?"

"I didn't" The mayor said solemnly.

The implications of this statement was sobering to the other three. Fortunately for Vlad, they didn't have time to respond as they reached Mr. Lancer's classroom.

"Mr. Fenton. Care to explain why you were..." The balding teaching started to ask before he noticed Vlad.

"That would be my doing, Mr. Lancer. I borrowed young Daniel after noticing some injuries he had acquired and took him to seek proper medical attention." Vlad said smoothly.

"I see." Lancer said, his eye glancing at the bandages around the teen's wrists before returning to the mayor. "Any idea what might have caused these injuries?"

"I have my suspicions." The elder halfa said, his eyes following Sam as the entered the class before flicking over to Tucker and finally returning to the teacher. "Unfortunately, security and surveillance seems to be lacking so we may never truly know."

"I'm sorry to hear that." The teacher said, a look of concern and disappointment on his face.

"Not to worry. I'm going to be speaking with the principal to see if we can't allocate more funds to the school's security." Vlad said.

He gave Danny's shoulder a reassuring squeeze before he and Jazz exited the classroom. Just as the door closed, the bell rang, signifying the beginning of class.

"Good morning, class. Today we will be..."

At this, Mr. Lancer paused, looking around the room. Nearly every student had a bored or vacant expression on their face. The only exceptions were Ms. Manson, Mr. Foley, and Mr. Fenton.

Ms. Manson seemed to alternate between glaring daggers at Daniel and putting on a conspiratorial smirk, as if she knew the punchline to the world's greatest joke. Mr. Foley seemed to be worriedly glancing between the two, unsure of what he should do. Finally, Daniel was looking right back at Mr. Lancer.

"Today will be a sort of fun day. We will discuss literature made into movies."

At this, many of the students sat up straighter in their chairs at the sound of movies.

"Let me reiterate. These are movies based off of books."

A majority of the popular crowd groaned at this and quickly lost interest.

Star raised her hand.

"Can we talk about Twilight?" Star asked.

The whole of the male population groaned at this.

"Unfortunately I have neither seen nor read that series so I cannot properly regulate that conversation."

Paulina then raised her hand, asking "What about 50 Shades of..."

"NOOOOO!" The male students exclaimed in a united voice.

"Ms. Sanchez. We will not be discussing that smut in my class." Mr. Lancer said to the cheers of the boys.

The balding teacher was about to chose the topic himself when he saw Danny slowly raise his hand.

"Yes, Mr. Fenton?"

"The...The Shawshank Redemption."

"Ah. Excellent choice, Mr. Fenton." Mr. Lancer said, smiling broadly.

"Teacher's Pet." Dash muttered to the other populars, earning a couple of snickers.

"Is that so, Mr. Baxter? Do you have any alternatives that you would like to talk about?"

Dash began mumbling incoherently at being called out.

"One would hope that you don't fumble the football as much as you fumble over your words, Mr. Baxter." The teacher said.

This brought several chuckles and bursts of laughter from the students. After a few seconds, Mr. Lancer reeled their attention back in.

"So, Mr. Fenton. Tell us about your impression of both the movie and the book? If anyone else feels like contributing to the discussion, please raise your hand and I will come around to you at an appropriate stoppage."

A small smile crossed Danny's face. He really appreciated what his teacher was doing, even if he didn't realize it. His smile only broadened when he felt an invisible Kitty shift into a more comfortable position on his lap.

'I can do this.' He thought before looking up at his balding teacher.

"I enjoyed the constant theme of hope in both book and movie. So many things go wrong for Andy Dufresne, from his false imprisonment, to the harassment he received from the prison gangs, to him being forced into money laundering. Yet he never gives up on hope. It is a constant that pushes him forward and keeps him going."

"Excellent summary, Daniel. Short, concise, and giving plenty of information for you classmates who may wish to read the book or watch its adaptation." Mr. Lancer said before glancing around the room to see if anyone had raised their hands.

Much to his displeasure, he noticed Sam with her hand raised and devious smirk on her face.

"Ms. Manson? Do you wish to add something?" The teacher asked.

"Yes." Sam answered. "I would like to say that I thought the main character seemed like a complete idiot throughout both the story and the movie."

The girl's smirk grew when she saw Danny flinch and her balding teacher frown at her statement.

"Care to explain how you came to that conclusion, Ms. Manson?"

"Well, he was obviously a terrible husband if his wife decided to cheat on him. He didn't have the backbone to go through with his attempt to scare them when he found out she was cheating on him which also lead up to his life time imprisonment. Finally, he was so gullible and trusting in the warden that he thought he could get a retrial when new evidence came up."

The classroom was silent as the grave. Even without knowing the complete story, everyone knew there had been a big falling out between the loser trio if the confrontation yesterday was evidence.

Danny was silent, staring at his desk while a hurricane of turmoil, insults, and degradation passed through his mind. He didn't want to listen to her subtle jabs at him. He didn't want her to affect him as she did. Yet the insults and put downs he had previously received from her were stinging him like angry hornets. He wanted some relief. Some method of escape or something to dull the pain.

"Shhh." Kitty silently cooed in his ear. "I'm here with you."

To emphasize her point, she kissed him on the cheek before burring her head into the crook of his neck.

"You can make it through this. I know you can." She whispered.

"Mr. Fenton." The teacher said, breaking Danny from his thoughts. "Do you have a rebuttal?"

Danny took a deep breath before slowly letting it out.

'I can do this.' He thought to himself before answering the teacher.

"I'll admit that Sam made some interesting points in her case but she seems to have let out a key factor."

"Oh?" Mr. Lancer said, raising his eyebrow and the right corner of his mouth curling upward. "What might that be?"

"Acceptance." Danny replied.

"Elaborate for us, Mr. Fenton."

"In both, he accepted the fact that he lost his wife because he became too absorbed into his work. The reason he didn't go through with his plan to scare his wife and her lover was because he knew it wouldn't bring her back to him. As for getting a new trial, I'm pretty sure the warden in both the novel and the movie received their proper rewards in the end when Andy made his grand escape with their money."

Now Mr. Lancer allowed himself to breakout into a full smile.

"Excellent rebuttal, Mr. Fenton." The teacher said before turning back to a flustered Sam. "Ms. Manson. Do you have a retort?"

Sam spluttered and fumbled for words yet she couldn't.

"Tucker! Help me out here!" She said.

The techno geek simply shrugged his shoulders at her, indicating his lack of knowledge on the subject.

So the class went on. Mr. Lancer would ask Danny a question. Danny would answer while Sam would try to discredit and humiliate him. Kitty would give him small shows of encouragement through both her words and her kisses, giving him the boost to ignore her petty insults. By the time class ended, Danny was feeling better than he had this time yesterday.

Was he still bothered by Sam's insults? Yes. Yet Kitty had stuck by him throughout it all. This would still be a long road until her words no longer bothered him. Still, he was sure...

 ***SLAM***

The locker beside Danny was forcefully shut, revealing a pissed off Sam Manson and an unsure Tucker Foley behind her.

"What is with you today?" The goth asked.

Danny glanced at her. She wasn't looking happy, to put it mildly. Her cheeks were flushed red with pent up frustration and her hands were clenched in tight fists.

"Nothing." He stated simply before turning to walk away. Unfortunately for him, Sam grabbed his right wrist. Her grip was painful on his cuts but he managed to keep it concealed.

"Let me go." Danny said, trying to free his arm only for the goth's grip to tighten.

"You were a sniveling mess yesterday. What changed?" She growled.

"Why do you care?" Danny countered.

The girl opened and closed her mouth yet no words came out. Finally, she decided to push him to the ground, the wrappings on his wrist tearing off in her clutches.

Like yesterday, Danny fell to the ground. Like yesterday, a crowd began to form again.

"Come on, Danny. Let's go." Kitty whispered in his ear.

Shakily, Danny got back to his feet. Unfortunately, when he reached for his backpack, he grabbed it with his now unbandaged hand.

A collective gasp went through the crowd as they saw the self-inflicted wounds on his wrist.

"Dude. That's fucked up." Dash said in a hushed tone.

"I think I'm gonna be sick." Gagged Paulina.

His breath hitched and he couldn't help the single tear fall from his eye. Yet he felt Kitty's arms wrap around him and her head nuzzling into his back.

"Don't think or worry about them. Just stay with me." The biker girl cooed.

Releasing the breath that he didn't know he had been holding, Danny grabbed his bag and stood tall. He stared into the eyes of his former friend.

For the briefest of moments, he saw fear and remorse in her eyes. As though she regretted the choices she had made and would do anything to take them back. Then it was gone, replaced by a look of disgust.

"Guess you were too much of a coward to get dying."

Danny blinked. This would be the end, so to speak.

"Goodbye, Sam." The boy said before turning on his heel and walking away from the girl.

"You think this is over?" Sam exclaimed. "You can't just walk away from me. We go to the same school! We live in the same town! You can't avoid me forever!"

"That may be." Came a voice from behind the goth. "But I'm sure there are a few things we can to keep you away from him."

The crowd turned their attention to the two newcomers into the circle. There stood their former guidance councilor, Penelope Spectra, and the town mayor, Vlad Masters.

Sam's brows furrowed and she clenched her fists.

"What are you two doing here?"

Spectra smirked at the girl before replying.

"I've been gone on an extended sabbatical. Your mayor thought it was a good idea for me to return due to recent circumstances."

Now Sam was being thrown for a loop. Part of her thought this was an obvious trap set up by the two villains and she should be doing everything in her power to stop whatever it was. Yet another part of her was telling her to stay out of it. Why should she care what these two did? If they were teaming up, all the more trouble for Danny. The only flaw with this train of thought was that they didn't seem to be conspiring against Danny but trying to help him.

"Seeing as how school is still in session and you all have your phones out, I will be confiscating them." The misery ghost continued, much to the displeasure of the students.

Most of the teens grudgingly handed over their phones. The only one who was resistant was one Tucker Foley.

"No! Not my babies!" He whimpered.

"Don't worry, Mr. Foley. I'll be absolutely..." Penelope began to say before she pretended to trip and allowed his PDA to slip from her grasp and land screen first on the floor.

"Whoops! Clumsy me." She said. "I'm sure you can buff out those minor scratches."

When Tucker saw the large spider web crack in the center of his precious tech, he began to sob like a little girl.

"Don't worry, Mr. Foley." Vlad said in a condescending tone of voice. "I'm sure your friend, Ms. Manson, can cover the cost to replace it. How much was it? Thirty pieces of silver?"

With that, the two adults walked away, causing the crowd to disperse, leaving only a seething Sam and a troubled Tucker.

"Something's up. With those two here, trouble will be coming." Sam finally said, breaking Tuck from his mourning.

"No shit." Tucker said, wiping the tear trails from his eyes. "Look what they did to my new PDA."

"Will you shut up about the PDA?" Sam growled.

"They know what we did. Why else would they be here?" He said.

"That can't be. They are Danny's enemies."

"Maybe they called a truce once they found out he tried to kill himself yesterday." Tuck continued. "Look...Maybe we went too..."

"No!" Sam said, rounding on her friend. "We didn't give him the knife and we didn't cut him. We are not responsible for his actions."

"Sam this is getting out of hand!" The black boy pleaded. "Somebody know what we did to him and now they are getting back at us for it."

"Snap out of it, Tucker! We still have some of Danny's ghost weapons and we have Johnny on our side. They'll think twice about messing with us outright which will give us time to come up with a plan."

"I don't know..." Tucker said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Here." Sam said, pulling out a wad of cash and handing it to him. "Just shut up and stay calm. We can get through this."

With that, Sam walked to her next class. Sighing, Tucker looked down at how much she had given him.

30 dollars.

The boy involuntarily shivered. Quickly pocketing the money, he hurried after Sam.

 *****3:30 PM, Outside Casper High*****

Danny and Jazz walked out the building and down the steps towards Vlad's parked sedan. The remainder of the school day had gone relatively smooth. Nobody, not Sam nor Tucker nor the A-Listers bothered Danny the entire day. The student body did seem on edge and tension was in the air but Danny was able to ignore it with the help and encouragement from Kitty. Throughout the day, Vlad and Penelope would occasionally pop up, mentioning new anti bullying policies and added security to make sure what happened yesterday would be a one time event.

Entering the car, Danny saw Vlad behind the wheel, Spectra in the passenger seat, and Kitty in the rear. Smiling at his new girlfriend, he climbed into the sedan and wrapped his arms around her.

'Girlfriend.' Danny thought. 'A couple days ago I wouldn't think I would ever know someone who would love me enough to be my girlfriend. Now, though, it feels so right.'

"You did well, Danny." Kitty said, rubbing her cheek against his. "Just one step at a time."

"I...I don't know what to say." He replied shyly.

Leaning forward, the biker girl pecked him on the lips.

"You don't have to say anything."

"Not even a day after she saves your life and you've already fallen in love with her?" Jazz said, breaking up the moment as she slid in on the other side of Kitty.

"I...We...Well..." Danny stuttered, trying to think of how best to reply to his sister's inquiries.

"I liked him before this began." Kitty spoke up as the car began to move. "Ever since we went out while I was possessing Paulina, I've had feelings for him that have only continued to grow. I know that he enjoyed our time together and I would like to see where things go between us."

Jazz sighed. She looked at her brother and gave him a cheeky grin. "You sure know how to pick 'em, don't you, Danny."

"In this case, I think she picked me." Danny replied, giving her a small smile in return.

"I don't mean to break up the moment," Spectra said, "but because of the new policies that we put into effect today, I had to call your parents about both today and yesterday."

This brought down the mood drastically. The color in Danny face drained while Jazz bit her lower lip.

"They will be coming home this Saturday. We'll hold the meeting at your house so that you' at least feel comfortable." The misery ghost continued.

"I...I knew I would have to tell them eventually. I just thought I would have some more time to think on what to tell them." He mumbled while resting his head on Kitty's shoulder.

"One step at a time, Danny." Kitty cooed as she gently ran her fingers through his hair.

"Will you be there with me?" Danny asked, his eyes glancing up at her.

The biker girl gave him a reassuring smile before giving him a kiss on his forehead.

"Did you even need to ask?"

This brought a smile to his face.

"Can you join us, Vlad?" Danny asked after a moment's silence.

Throughout the drive, Vlad's mood had been relatively up. Today he had done his best to make things up to the boy. Now, however, it was taking a slow but steady dive.

"Me? You sure you want me to be there with your parents?" He asked, hoping Daniel would return to his normal self and want to keep him away from his family.

"I trust you. You saved my life. That definitely earns you some praise to my parents." Danny said.

Vlad frowned. Ever since his meeting with Clockwork, he thought he would do his best to avoid the Fentons and the bitter memories they brought up.

"Please." Penelope said, her hand covering his. "Do it for Danny."

"Alright." The elder halfa reluctantly said.

While the teens seemed to perk up at his acceptance, Vlad was having an internal struggle. His inner demons were now on the rise. Part of him sincerely wanted to help the boy in this difficult road to recovery. Yet another part of him wanted to stay as far away from his former college friends as possible.

The bitter feelings and hatred were still there; bubbling, frothing, and waiting to boil over.

Did he hate Jack?

Yes.

He hated his friend for plucking up the courage to ask Maddie out before he could. Hated him for injuring him in the accident. Hated him for dropping the bomb on him while he was lying in the hospital, bandaged like a mummy, while Maddie hung off his arm.

Did he hate Maddie?

...yes.

All the subtle hints he had dropped to her. All the small acts of kindness and love he had given her. The small talks, the late night research, early morning coffee and breakfast runs. He had done everything to get her attention.

And yet...they meant nothing.

He loved her.

He hated her.

He still loves her.

He still hates her.

Why? Why was life so cruel?

His meeting with Clockwork only seemed to confirm his worst nightmares.

Now? Now he was being forced to confront those nightmares.

All for the sake of his Little Badger.

 *****Meanwhile, At the Manson Mansion*****

The front doors to the posh mansion were flung open, allowing an annoyed Sam to enter her home. She flung her backpack near the coat rack before marching towards the stairs.

"Madam, your 'guest'," The butler Jeeves said in a tone of disgust, "Is currently in your bedroom. He brought over some...questionable guests after dropping you off at school and they left just an hour ago."

"Do my parents know?" Sam asked, giving the manservant a piercing gaze.

"No, madam." Jeeves sighed.

"Good." Sam said before handing the butler a Benjamin Franklin. "Let's keep it that way."

"Yes, Madam." The butler said reluctantly before returning to his duties.

Making her way to her bedroom, Sam opened the door to find her boyfriend lying on her bed. He was flipping through the channels and wearing nothing but his boxers.

"Hey babe." Johnny said as she entered the room and closed the doors. "How was your day?"

"It sucked." She said flatly.

He gave a lecherous chuckle. "You can say my day had some sucking as well."

"Danny came back today. Seems like he tried to commit suicide after the verbal lashing I gave him yesterday.

"HA!" The biker laughed. "Too pussy go finish the job if he came back today."

"Yeah. Anyways, Spectra and Plasmius came by and have started to change some things around. New security measure and bullying prevention rules."

"You're worry too much about this, babe. Those two probably have something up their sleeve to kick Phantom's ass and this bullying crap is just a cover."

"You're probably right." Sam said.

"Course I'm right." Johnny said before wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her onto the bed. His hands began to snake under her shirt and skirt while he kissed her up and down her neck.

"Johnny...We need to talk about you...Bringing girls to my place." Sam moaned as his touches increased.

"You said I could enjoy myself while you were at school." He said, pulling off her top.

"Yeah...but you've been doing it more often." Sam persisted as her skirt followed her shirt.

"That's because I get a little lonely while you are gone." Johnny said, wanting to end this conversation fast as he quickly removed her bra.

"But I'm your girlfriend. You should be paying more attention to me and not some random face on the street." She said, wriggling around to face him.

Johnny's cocky grin turned into a frown.

"Babe." He said firmly. "We talked about this. I need me time every so often. If that means having a little ass on the side, so be it."

"But Johnny..."

"HEY!" He yelled overtop of her, his eyes briefly flashing red before turning back to green.

"See, this is how you lost Fenton with all your whining and bitching. You didn't know when to shut up and stop complaining about meaningless shit. Because he got caught up in all that crap, he never noticed you. Now me, on the other hand, I noticed you."

At this, Johnny's face softened and he began to stroke her cheek.

"I noticed you when I first came to Amity. If it wasn't for that stupid genetic lock, I would have gone straight to you and would have forgotten all about Kitty."

His words seemed to work as Sam calmed down.

"I'm sorry." She said.

"Just don't worry about things too much, babe." He said as he finally removed her panties. Her slit was glistening in anticipation and his cock was ready to go, peaking out of his boxers.

With one thrust, the biker entered his girlfriend and he set a quick tempo.

'Gets 'em every time.' Johnny thought as he continued to fuck the goth.


	5. Forgetting Her but not the Time

**Chapter 5: Forgetting Her but not the Time**

 **Hello, dear readers. I am back with another chapter for this story. Sorry for the long delay, things just came up. This chapter will be slightly different from previous chapters in that it will mostly be centered around Vlad. I hope that you guys won't mind. That being said, I do not own Danny Phantom, 'Whatsername' by Green Day, or anything else I reference. R &R and Enjoy!**

 *****Saturday, 8 AM, Vlad's Bedroom*****

With a start, the multi billionaire and Mayor of Amity woke with a start. He was breathing heavily and sweat was pouring down his brow. Vlad's gaze frantically looked over the room. He wasn't back in his college lab. He wasn't writhing in pain from his exposure to the prototype ghost portal. He wasn't listening to the groan of disappointment from Jack at his failure nor the soothing consultations from Maddie.

He was in his bedroom, lying naked and anxious in his bed. Small rays of light pierced through the cracks in the curtain that covered the window. He heard a soft moan to his left. Looking down, he saw the beautiful form of Penelope Spectra. She too was naked, the bed sheet the only thing keeping her modesty.

A ghost of a smile appeared on his face as he remembered their previous night. She had found him brooding and drinking in his study, a half empty bottle of scotch sitting on the small table beside him, a rocks glass filled with the amber liquid and ice in his right hand, and the case to his revolver sitting open on his lap.

She had let out a sigh at the sight of him, a mixture of exasperation, sympathy, and understanding. Penelope had then walked over to him, removed the box from his lap and replaced it with her rump. She then took the glass from his hand and downed it in one swig.

"Guess I have some catching up to do." The redheaded ghost replied coyly.

From there, things escalated from the two of them polishing off the remainder of the bottle and some exchanging of flirtatious jokes and comments to a passionate kiss and heavy petting.

The silver haired mayor chuckled at the memories coming back to him. Looking back down, he bent over and planted a chaste kiss on the sleeping woman's lips.

They had somehow ended up in his bedroom. From there, it was like the two had become hormonal teenagers again. One moment, they were ripping each other's clothes off in between their kisses, the next, they were completely naked and giving pleasuring one another orally.

He could remember the taste of her pussy, so sweet and succulent. He could remember how her body shivered in pleasure and the deep moan she released while her mouth was still wrapped around his penis. He could remember how she had brought him to his own climax and greedily swallowed his seed.

They had made love he knew not how many times. With Penelope, he didn't have to think in his albeit muddled state of mind. He didn't have to remember...

And then, like a ton of bricks, it came back to him. The reason he had been drinking in the first place. He had been dwelling on the upcoming meeting with the Fenton parents today. That in turn led him to recall his failed attempts to woo Maddie, both before and after the accident. The supreme idiocy of Jack when he activated the prototype ghost portal, despite the skepticism and protests from both Maddie and himself. The pain, the excruciating and agonizing pain that struck his face and soon after coursed through his body as his DNA began to mutate. The slow road to recovery he had to make.

The man gritted his teeth, balled his hands into fists, and closed his eyes, trying to prevent the tears of anger, frustration, and sorrow from flowing down his face. He sat there for a few minutes, breathing heavily in and out through his nose, trying to collect himself. When Vlad did open his eyes, they were now bloodshot.

Slowly, he climbed out of bed and began to look for his boxers. Once found, he walked out of the room.

Unknown to him, Penelope had woken up after the kiss he had given her. She saw his mood change from amusement to pain to hate. She had hoped that their night of foolishness and fun would take his mind off the upcoming meeting with the Fentons and his pent up anger towards them. Yet it seemed to have been only a minor relief. A sort of hangover of the mind. And she had just been his booze and painkiller.

Letting out a sigh, she sat up and stretched her limbs. As the blanket fell away from her naked upper half, goose flesh lightly broke out across her skin. She ran her hands over her body before slowly climbing out of bed.

Looking around, she found his dress shirt and put it on, buttoning the top half of the shirt before walking out of the room.

The misery ghost had several things on her mind, primarily being the current state of mind of Vlad. A sly smile graced her face. It had definitely been a spur of the moment thing for her to get drunk and fool around with the elder halfa. Still, it had distracted him from his thoughts and the gun and had been thoroughly enjoyable for the both of them. Right now, though, she had to find him.

For the past few days since Danny's attempted suicide, she had been staying with the elder halfa. Partially because he had offered her a place to stay because of her newly regained position as guidance counselor. The other reason for her current living situation...well, lets just say Vlad and Danny have more in common than even they knew.

Would her constant distractions permanently take his mind off his feelings of worthlessness and self loathing? Maybe, maybe not. But she knew it was better than doing nothing. Leaving him to his own devices in that state of mind...she shuddered to think what he might do to himself.

Meanwhile, Vlad was sitting in front of the fireplace, the flames crackling with life before him. On his lap lay a photo album with the pictures and clippings from his youth. The images had faded and the papers were starting to yellow but to him they were as clear as crystal.

A sad smile graces his face as he looked upon the photographs. His first day of college. Meeting his new roommate, Jack Fenton. Their first college party and meeting Maddie. The various outings the trio had both in the lab and for fun. The...rare moments he and Maddie had enjoyed alone. Finally, the day before the accident.

There they were, the three of them. Huddled around his camera and smiling jovially. The prototype ghost portal behind them.

Vlad looked upon these photos, these memories. The first few brought a smile to his face as he recalled the more pleasant times. Then the smile faded into a look of loss at the happy memories he had enjoyed with his two former friends. Finally, there was a look of pain and anger at the last picture.

It hurt to remember the last and most painful memory he had with the two Fentons. That day had been filled with so much promise. He had told Jack that he had wanted to ask the girl of his dreams out on a date but couldn't pluck up the courage. Jack, being his best friend at the time, had encouraged him to try and ask her out. That day he was going to ask Maddie out on a date once they had finished the diagnostic tests on the prototype.

But Jack, the idiotic, foolish oaf couldn't wait for the diagnostics. He was so gung ho, so confident that the machine would work that he started the prototype up without a care in the world for safety precautions.

He remembered the pain as electric and ectoplasmic energy fried his face, burning and scaring him both outwardly and inwardly.

He remembered waking up in the hospital a few days later, his face bandaged up. Remembered his teachers giving their condolences on his condition while congratulating him and his friends for their technological feat. Remembered the hospital running constant tests and experiments on him because of his unusual injuries for weeks.

But most of all...he remembered them coming to meet him a month after his initial wake up in the hospital. Jack was grinning ear to ear, his arm around Maddie's shoulder. Maddie...constantly playing with her hands while looking longingly at the oaf. The announcement of their engagement. The ring on her finger.

It had been too much for him. He yelled and screamed and shouted at them to get out of his room. He remembered cursing at Jack for putting him in his current state. He had glared hatefully at the woman he had tried so hard to woo. But when they had left, he had cried.

He had cried because of the situation he was now in. He had cried because he felt his best friends had betrayed him.

Vlad looked back down at the photo album in his hands. His hands were shaking. He wanted desperately to toss the damnable memories into the fire. He brought his hand up to do just that.

Yet he faltered. He wanted to forget the bad times and keep the good memories but every time he looked back on these memories of good times, it brought back the bad ones.

Again, the elder halfa found himself yelling in anger and despair. He slammed the album back down onto the floor before digging his knuckles into his temples.

"Why?...Why can't I forget?" He asked himself as fresh tears escaped his eyes.

Then he felt arms gently wrap around his middle. He simply gave in and fell back.

"Because," Penelope said, bringing his head to her bosom while running her fingers through his silver hair, "You keep holding on to the past. Whether it be through your anger at Jack, your dreams of having Maddie, or your simple desire for things to go back to the way they were."

He didn't verbally respond to what she said, only nodding his head.

"Why do you do this for me? What makes me so special when we both know Danny needs your help more?"

A small smile came to Penelope's face at this.

"For one thing, you and Danny are more alike than either of you realize. You both have, or should I say are going through the same situation."

"I...I haven't done that yet." He replied defensively, reflexively clutching at his wrists.

"No...Not yet. But you both have received heartbreaking news about your love interest. You both have resorted to unhealthy substances in an attempt to forget about the pain. And...both of you have...someone trying to pull you out of the gloomy state you are in." The redhead replied, fumbling at the end over what she wanted to say and what she actually said.

"And the second reason?" Vlad asked.

"Can't a girl simply enjoy being with her new friend and lover?" She countered cheekily.

"Didn't say that she couldn't." He replied, a ghost of a smile forming when she said lover to him. "Still, I think there is more to it than that.

"Yeah." Penny replied, the smile falling from her face. "Bertrand left me a while ago. Said why should he stay with a broad that constantly needed misery to maintain her looks when he, the o-so-magnificent shapeshifter could simply change his looks on command so he could bed any girl he desired."

"Bastard." Vlad growled out.

"Exactly what I called him." She chuckled.

They sat there together for a few minutes, enjoying each other's company in relative silence. For Vlad, this was a surreal moment for him. An oxymoron. He finally had what he wanted but at the same time, he didn't. He had someone that seemed to genuinely care (he wouldn't say love at this point in time) for him and wanted to help him overcome the problems and troubles he was dealing with.

It felt amazing to vent to someone other than his cat and an AI programmed to tell him exactly what he wanted to hear.

Still, it always came back around to letting everything go. Let the hate, the one sided love, and the happy memories go. And every time he tried, he couldn't. To him, the combination of those three had kept him going and had given him a purpose in life ever since the accident. Now that his infatuation with Maddie was destroyed, the other two were quickly unraveling.

With no motivation, no drive, no purpose...

"Come on." Penelope said, breaking the elder halfa from his thoughts. "Time to get some breakfast before the meeting."

Nodding his head, the two stood up and headed back to his room to freshen up and get dressed. Twenty minutes later, they were quietly having breakfast in his dining room. It was a quiet affair, only the clinking of cutlery on china breaking the silence.

Once they were finished, they made their way to the mansion's garage. Vlad walked over to a peg board, covered in keys and labels.

"Aston Martin DB5, DeLorean DMC-12, 1958 Plymouth Fury, 1969 Dodge Charger? You have quite the car collection." Penelope mused.

"Indeed." Vlad replied before reaching for a key marked 1968 El Camino SS.

Key in hand, Vlad made his way through the rows of cars until he found the one he was looking for. It was black with white stripes running through the middle of the car. The interior was a white leather with black accents. Most of the instruments on the dash were original except for the new radio.

"What makes this car so special?" She asked as she slid into the passenger's seat.

"This was my first car." He replied quietly as he started the engine.

"You've kept it in extremely good condition for all these years." Penelope said with a small smile on her face.

The man snorted as he slowly pulled the car out and past his other cars. "No thanks to Jack Fenton. He totaled it during our freshman year of college for some party he wanted to go to. I thought I was being the good friend for letting him borrow it."

Penelope sighed. Trying to make good conversation with him and it brings back bad memories.

"Mind if I turn on the radio." The redhead asked, remembering when he drove Danny to school that he disliked awkward silences in car rides.

"Yes, please." He replied, a hint of relief in his voice.

Nodding her head, Penelope turned the radio on.

*STATIC*

...Spanky's is throwin' a kick ass party!

*STATIC*

This is the Bubba the Love Sponge Show!

*STATIC*

 _The day I tried to live_

 _I wallowed in the blood and mud_

 _With all the other pigs, hey_

 _Singing one more time around_

 _(Might do it)_

"Change it." Vlad said flatly.

Nodding her head, the redhead changed the station again.

*STATIC*

Double T in the morning with some...

*STATIC*

...call us and we will settle your claim.

*STATIC*

 _He will do one of two things_

 _He will admit to everything_

 _Or he'll say he's just not the same_

 _And you'll begin to wonder why you came_

 _Where did I go wrong?_

 _I lost a friend_

"Change it." He growled, getting irritated with the songs on the radio.

"I'm not doing this on purpose." She said as she turned the dial again.

"I didn't say you were." The elder halfa sighed as they continued down the road.

*STATIC*

John Boy and Billy Bob in the morning!

*STATIC*

Would you kindly...

*STATIC*

The Christmas Station! Where we play Christmas Music 27/7/365.

"Well, at least there aren't any depressing..." Penelope began to say.

 _I'll have a blue Christmas without you_

 _I'll be so blue just thinking about you_

"GOD FUCKING DAMNIT!" The misery ghost cursed at the radio, wanting to smash it to pieces but managing to restrain herself.

Sighing, Vlad reached over and turned the radio dial.

"Next song we come to, we stay on that station." He said. There was static and another mix of random lines from radio commercials and talk shows until...

 _Did she ever marry old what's his face?_

 _I made a point to burn all of the photographs_

 _She went away and then I took a different path_

 _I remember the face_

 _But I can't recall the name_

 _Now I wonder how whatsername has been_

Penelope glanced over at the elder halfa to gauge his reaction to the song. Outwardly, he didn't seem to react. Inwardly, however, she knew this rang some notes with him.

"What are you hoping to come out of this meeting with the Fentons?" He asked.

"I'm hoping that after we explain what has been going on with Danny for the past few weeks, they will do their best to help him move on, reinforcing his value to them if he has any doubts, and possibly thanking you for your part in saving him."

"I doubt that." Vlad huffed. "They'll blame Daniel for contemplating such things when he has a 'perfectly normal and happy life'. Then Maddie will blame me for my part of the attempt, claiming I might as well have cut Danny myself for what I did. Jack will be his usual, stupid, and ignorant self in the beginning before trying to come to my defense before finally caving in and going along with his wife. Then, and only then, will they turn their hatred to Ms. Manson."

"Do you really think that little of them to say they would blame Danny for his actions? And I wasn't planning on telling them your initial part in the events that took place. That would out the two of you of your secrets." Penelope said.

"You need only look at how Jasmine reacted. Sure, she put the blame on me because I was conveniently there first. Then, when Daniel woke up, she asked him how he could selfishly think of ending his life without thinking of his family. After all that, then she turned her anger towards Samantha. As for Maddie blaming me, I know she hates me. Knew it when I tried to trick her and Daniel in the woods. When she sees me there and we get into the meat of our talk, she'll blame me." Was his rebuttal.

 _The regrets are useless_

 _In my mind_

 _She's in my head_

 _I must confess_

"If not Danny's parents, then who do you think would have a better time at helping him?" The misery ghost asked.

Vlad sighed before answering. "Kitty, his sister, Clockwork, perhaps Ember, and you."

"Don't forget about yourself." Penny said, smiling reassuringly at him.

The elder halfa didn't reply to her statement.

 _And in the darkest night_

 _If my memory serves me right_

 _I'll never turn back time_

 _Forgetting you, but not the time._

The car pulled up to Fenton Works, parking in front of the house. Vlad got out of the car and walked around to help her out.

"Glad to know there are still gentlemen in the world." She commented, taking his hand as she exited the car. Making sure the car was locked, they made their way up the stairs to the front door.

After knocking on the door, they waited patiently to be let in. They didn't have long to wait.

"GHOST!" Jack yelled as he opened the front door and aimed an ecto-bazooka at the two. Penelope cringed and stood behind Vlad while the elder halfa stared coldly at his former friend.

"Jack." The elder halfa stated, glaring daggers at the man who had caused him much pain.

"VLADY!" Jack Fenton said, slinging the weapon onto his back before moving in to pull his best friend from college into one of his signature bear hugs...only to feel a firm hand stop him.

Surprised, he looked at the hand and traced it back to the owner, who happened to be the man he was going to embrace. It was in that moment that Jack saw hatred in the eyes of his best friend.

They stood there looking at each other for a second or two before the silver haired mayor pushed Jack aside and entered the house. He was so shocked at this turn of events that he didn't even notice the redhead that followed him in.

In the house, Vlad walked through the short hall into the living room. His eyes roamed the area, taking in the simple yet comfortable feel of the home. Yet before he could begin to relax from his recent rise in temper thanks to the fat idiot, his eyes landed on the person who gave him the most mixed and terrible feelings thanks to recent event and conversations.

"Hello, Vlad." Maddie Fenton said cooly. Her arms crossed her chest and she was giving him an emotionless look.

The elder halfa surpassed her chilly attitude with a nearly Arctic look of his own. For the first time since the accident, Vlad stared at her in anger.

"Maddie." He replied with a growl. Another first in a long time.

This surprised Maddie. Normally, Vlad was kind, flirtatious with her. She actually shivered with how cold he was now treating her.

"Hello, there. You must be Mrs. Fenton." Said Penelope, breaking up the tense moment between the two.

"Oh." Maddie replied, breaking her attention from Vlad and turning her attention to the woman before her. "Yes. I'm Maddie Fenton. Pleasure to meet you Miss?"

"Spectra. Penelope Spectra." Penny answered, smiling at the woman.

"Have...have we met before?" Maddie asked, confusion in her eyes.

"I don't believe so. I was briefly employed at your children's high school until something came up, requiring me to leave." Spectra lied.

Before Mrs. Fenton could continue, they were interrupted by footsteps coming down the stairs. The three turned to see Danny and Jazz at the foot of the stairs. They were dressed in their usual attire except for Danny. The only difference from his normal white shirt and jeans were a pair of black sweat bands covering his wrists.

"Vlad." Danny said, a small smile coming to his face before he walked over and embraced the elder halfa. To say Vlad was surprised by this was an understatement. He appeared stunned at the show of affection that his former enemy. After a few seconds, Vlad awkwardly returned the hug.

"Daniel. Good to see you again." He replied, a small smile coming to his face.

"Same here." The black haired teenager replied before stepping away briefly to allow his sister to hug the man as well.

"How...how are you doing?" He asked quietly.

The siblings motioned for him to follow them towards the couch.

For her part, Maddie was confused at the actions of her children. From her memories, the two had been wary or, in Danny's case, vehemently against trusting her former college friend. Yet now they were warming up to him like an uncle.

By this point, Jack had recovered from his confusion concerning his friend and had come inside to see what was currently going on.

"Aw. Maddie, look. Our kinds are finally coming around to liking Vlad." The bulky man remarked, putting an arm around his wife's shoulder while proudly watching his children.

"Good. Now that we're all here, we can get started." Penelope spoke up, putting on a pleasant smile for the group.

With that, the three adults walked over to where the children and Vlad were. Jack sat in his recliner, Vlad and Penelope on the love seat, and Danny and Jazz sat on the couch. Maddie was about to sit in between her children before Ms. Spectra spoke up.

"Mrs. Fenton, why don't you sit on the ottoman next to your husband? I feel it would be best to give Danny some space, especially with what we will be discussing."

"I appreciate the concern but I'm sure Danny won't..." Maddie began to say before her son interrupted her.

"Please, mom?" He asked.

She could see him silently pleading with her. While her maternal instincts told her to sit with her children and reassure them that nothing said would ruin their relationship, she could tell he wanted, perhaps needed this bit of space away from her because of whatever had happened to him.

"Ok, Danny." She sighed, trying to give him a reassuring smile before going over and sitting on the ottoman. "So what exactly is this meeting about? You were vague over the phone, claiming it was a serious matter and that it required our presence."

"Yes. I believe that what we will be talking about today would better be discussed in person rather than over the phone. Now, before we begin, does anyone have anything they would like to say?" Penelope said, looking around at the assembled group, her eyes briefly landing on Danny.

"I do!" Jack said enthusiastically. "Vlady! Is that your old El Camino from college? It looks brand new, almost as if it just rolled off the showroom floor. Looks in much better shape than when I last saw it."

"Well, maybe that is because the last time you saw it, you drove it into a telephone pole at 60 miles per hour?" The elder halfa replied, glaring at the fat man.

"Oh, come on, Vlad. You can't still be mad about that, can you? That happened years ago." Jack said. Unfortunately for him, it appeared his friend wasn't so forgiving.

"Ooookay." Penelope said, breaking up the awkward tension. "So, Danny. How would you like to start?"

The boy appeared to be having trouble saying whatever he felt needed to be said, his parents noticed. Then, all of a sudden, a small smile bloomed on his worry stricken face, almost as if someone had whispered something encouraging to him. Maddie thought it odd that he glanced to his left to the empty space beside him and that his left and began to close only to stop, almost as if he was holding an invisible hand.

"Mom...Dad...Do you remember, before you left, when I tried to talk to you?"

Jack shook his head no but Maddie said that she vaguely remembered him mentioning something about Sam.

"Well...something came up...between her and I..." He said, reluctant to simply state what had happened.

"Take your time, Danny. We are here for you." Penelope said.

He didn't initially react to her words, Maddie noticed. He glanced to the empty spot again and gripped the invisible hand again before he began to speak. When it started, it began slow but built up into an emotional confession.

He talked about how he had recently started to have feelings for the girl, seeing her as more than just a friend. He explained how he had finally plucked up the courage to tell her. He told them about finding her in the heat of the moment with someone else, leaving out the part where that someone else happened to be a ghost and that his ex girlfriend had also confronted him. A tear fell from his eye when he told them how he had been held against his will and forced to watch her and her new lover have sex. How she had spat cum in his face. How he had been tossed in the mud by the boyfriend afterwards.

At this point, Jack and Maddie wanted to interrupt, to say how horrified they were that their son had been treated in such a way but Penelope stopped them, informing them that there was more to the story.

Danny continued with how both she and Tucker had abandoned him. The hurtful text messages she had sent. He completely broke down when he began to explain the day he had made his suicide attempt. He had to leave out several details, including his visit to Vlad, being on the roof with Kitty, Penelope, and Ember, and falling over the side. He simply said he had hidden in the bushes near the school entrance and that was how he had been found.

By the time he had finished, his eyes were bloodshot and the sweatbands had come off to show his parents. Everyone's reactions were different. Vlad was looking at the floor in shame. Jazz was letting the tears silently fall from her eyes. Jack was absolutely speechless and shocked at what he had just been told. Penelope was doing her best to keep her emotions and powers together, lest she reveal herself to the ghost hunters. Finally, there was Maddie.

"I don't understand." She said.

"I understand this information is difficult to take in, Mrs. Fenton." Penelope said.

"No. It isn't the fact that of what Danny did that troubles me." Maddie replied, narrowing her eyes at Vlad. "The story seems off at some places. What was Vlad doing at the school? How come neither he nor Jazz called an ambulance when they found him dying? How were you able to give him a proper blood transfusion in the time it would take you to travel from school to your mansion?"

"Mom, he saved me. The events are kinda blurry but he saved..." Danny tried to say.

"No, Danny! This doesn't make sense!" His mother interrupted. "One of you is hiding something."

Getting up from her seat, she marched over to her former college friend and glared down at him. He simply looked up from the ground and glared back at her.

"What did you do to my son?" She growled.

"I saved his life." The elder halfa hissed back.

"Cut the bullshit! You did something to my son! What was it?"

"I didn't do..." He tried to defend himself.

"Did you give him the booze that he drowned his sorrow in?"

"Mom! No! He didn't..." The boy interjected.

"Did you give him the razor?" She yelled over her son.

"I would NEVER harm Danny!" Vlad roared back, getting to his feet now.

"Don't lie to me! You did something to him! Otherwise you wouldn't have been at the school when you showed up."

"I was just..."

"Did you have second thoughts about killing my son?" Maddie asked, now hysterical. "Did you think that if you saved his life that I might finally fall prey to your seductions?"

Now everyone in the room was silent. Not even Jack bothered to cut in at his wife's latest remarks.

"Well...let me tell you something, Vlad. I knew that you liked me back in college. I knew what all those little gestures meant. The study sessions. The early morning coffee and breakfast runs. The compliments and the anonymous gifts. I knew they were from you." She said, venom dripping from her voice.

Vlad looked stunned. She knew. She had known all along.

"Why?..Why...didn't...you...say...anything?" He asked quietly.

"Because I never liked you in that way." Maddie replied.

There was a pause...a tension that had built up during the argument that had now come to this climactic revelation.

 ***SMACK***

The sound of flesh being struck shattered the silence.

Maddie clutched at her cheek, her face stinging. Vlad's hand was still raised, it too turning an irritated red from the force of the strike. He was breathing heavily through his nose, his chest pushing rapidly at his suit, his eyes dilated.

"YOU BITCH!" He roared.

"Vlad! What are you..." Jack said, finally coming to his senses and trying to come to his wife's aid.

"Shut up, you imbecilic, fat fuck!" The elder halfa shouted at his former friend before turning back to Maddie. "Why didn't you tell me? Why did you toy with me like that if you never liked me?"

Vlad paused, running a hand through his hair before continuing.

"Do you know how long I wondered how different things could have been if I had gotten the chance to ask you? Do you know how much I wanted to tell you my feelings before that accident happened? The one that was caused by your idiotic husband?"

"I thought you knew." Maddie replied. "I thought Jack had told you we were dating before the accident happened."

There was another pause before Jack replied. "Oh...must have slipped my mind to tell him."

A third pause...much thicker than the other two because of the implications this latest revelation brought up.

Laughing broke the silence. Not the joyful or boisterous laughing like one in response to a joke. No. This one was crazed. Maniacal.

"You...forgot?" Vlad asked before giggling like a madman again. "You forgot?"

Fearful now, Jack nodded.

"So...you forgot to tell me that the two of you were dating and that Maddie had no interest in me. Did you just forget to run a final systems check on our prototype in college? Did you just forget to check the calculations to see if the math was correct? Did you just forget TO SEE IF I WAS STANDING IN FRONT OF THE PROTOTYPE WHEN YOU TURNED IT ON?!" Vlad asked, starting out softly, allowing his voice to rise with each question before bellowing out his final statement.

The Fenton parents were afraid. They hadn't known that Vlad could hold in such rage.

"You ruined my life! I blamed you for the accident and never forgave you! I blamed you for proposing to Maddie, the girl I had a crush on! But you don't know the full extent of your idiocy, now do you?" The elder halfa said condescendingly. "See for yourselves."

With that, black rings formed around Vlad's middle before running up and down his body, transforming him into his alter ego, Vlad Plasmius.

"The Wisconsin Ghost?" Jack said incredulously.

"Yes, you bumbling excuse for a scientist. Your idiocy mutated my DNA, essentially killing a part of me and causing me to gain ghostly powers."

"You tried to kill me!" Jack said, now staring fearfully at Vlad.

"Yes. I thought with you out of the picture, I could finally have my chance with Maddie. Finally have the love of my life. Have the family I always wanted." He replied before shooting a disgusted look at her. "But it seems that was all for naught. Years of my life...wasted on dreaming what could have been. What a fool I've been"

Turning back to Jack, the elder halfa said, "Somedays, I wish your idiocy would have killed me. Killed me so I wouldn't have to live out those years of wondering what could have been. Killed me so that I no longer have to know that Maddie never loved me like I did her."

"That can be fixed!" Maddie said before snatching the ecto launcher off her husband's back and aiming it at her former best friend.

"Fitting." Vlad spat. "Jack pushes me halfway into the grave. It's only proper that you finish the job."

"Vlad! Don't do this!" Danny exclaimed, trying to get off the couch but seeming to struggle with some invisible force.

"You have so much to live for, Danny. You have a whole life ahead of you. People that love and care about you. Your parents, your sister, and Kitty. Me? I wasted my life trying to obtain the unobtainable. I have nobody to love me. Nobody that wants me." He said, not wanting to look at his little badger for fear of his resolve breaking before turning his attention back to Maddie. "Do it. Do it and put me out of my misery."

Yet...Maddie faltered. Part of her desperately wanted to pull the trigger and end his existence for his attempts at seducing her and trying to kill Jack. Yet another part of her couldn't. He had been one of her best friends. They had so many memories together. Small though it was, she did feel guilty for not telling him that she had noticed his subtle advances during college and that she wasn't interested.

"I...I..." She stuttered, her finger floating above the trigger.

"Do it now, Maddie." He said, his eyes no longer showing hatred but rather pleading with her. "Just end it."

Before anyone could react, there was a dull thud before Vlad's eyes closed and he crumpled to the ground, reverting back to his human form. Behind him stood Penelope Spectra, her fist glowing red, anger and despair in her eyes while tears flowed freely from them.

"Idiot." She choked out before bending down, slinging one of his arms over her shoulder, before standing back up.

"You." Maddie said, stunned at the demonstration before leveling her weapon at Penelope. "Now I remember you."

"Yeah." Penelope growled back.

"We might be able to reconcile with Vlad." Maddie said, "You however, I have no problem ending and conducting experiments on."

"Like Hell you are!" Kitty said, speaking up for the first time and becoming visible. "She just saved your former friend from committing suicide by you and this is how you repay her? This is how you repay one of the people that helped your son, MY BOYFRIEND, realize he has so much more to live for?"

"This...she...you..."Maddie spluttered, switching her aim between the two ghostly girls, now unsure of who to shoot.

"Mom..." Danny said, standing up and looking pleadingly at his mother. "Please put the gun down."

"Danny...I don't know what is going on...but I need you to sit back on the couch and let your father and I figure this out.

"Mom..." He said, this time more forcefully while white rings formed around his middle and he began to change into Phantom form. "Put...the gun...down."

"D-D-Danny?" She whispered, watching as her baby boy turned into the ghost they had put the most effort into ending and experimenting on.

"Vlad wasn't the only one that got hurt by one of your mistakes." He said simply.

That was it. Those words were all it took for Maddie to break down. She dropped the launcher to the floor and crumbled to her knees crying.

Danny sighed. It was over. Never did he imagine that this talk with his parents would end up like this. He turned his attention to Spectra before saying, "Can you take care of him? Do you want Kitty, Jazz, and I to be there when he wakes up?"

"I think I can manage that." The misery ghost said, "I think you need to be here with your family. Patch things up and explain what really happened."

Nodding his head, Danny turned towards his mother before getting to his knees and embracing her.

"Its our fault. All our fault." Maddie choked out.

"Shhhh. I'm here, mom." Danny cooed in her ear.

Kitty was the next to move. She wrapped her arms around Danny and began to nuzzle his cheek.

Then Jazz moved, going around and putting her arms around her mother from behind.

Finally, Jack came to his senses. Moving to the side, he gently wrapped his arms around the group.

Sighing, Penny looked at the group one more time before disappearing in a whirlwind of mucus.

 *****A Few Hours Later*****

As Vlad came back to the conscious world, he groaned at the pain going through his head.

"Ugh, what hit me?" He said before slowly opening his eyes.

"That would be me." Came a voice from above him. When he finally looked up, he saw Penelope glaring down at him. From what he could tell, he was lying on the cold, hard ground and she was sitting on his chest.

 ***SMACK***

"Ow!" Vlad exclaimed when he felt the misery ghost smack him.

"You stupid idiot!" She growled. "Did you listen to anything I told you this morning?"

"Yeah, you explained that Daniel and I were more alike than what we originally thought." The elder halfa replied.

 ***SMACK***

"Stop hitting me!" He shouted, feeling the sting of the second slap on his other cheek.

"What else did I say?" She continued, ignoring his complaints."

"You said that Bertrand broke up with..."

"Before that." Penny said.

"That...that someone was trying to pull me out of the state that I'm in?"

"Yes!" She sighed. "Who do you think I meant when I said that. And please don't make me hit you again for guessing the wrong person. I'd like to think that you aren't as clueless as Danny can sometimes be."

"You?" The elder halfa said, getting an idea where this conversation was going.

"Yes. Two for two. Now let's see if you can get another. Do you know why I knocked you out and stopped you from committing suicide?" She asked, a mix of hope and exasperation in her voice.

"You...you care about me?" Vlad asked.

"Yes." She said before gently leaning down and resting her head on his chest. "Why do you think I've stayed with you these past few days? Why do you think I got drunk and slept with you last night to distract you from the gun in your lap?"

"I...I hadn't thought about it like that." He said.

"I know." Penny replied. "Kinda hard to think straight when you are going through self doubt and self loathing."

"So why me?" The elder halfa asked. "Why would you want to be with a miserable halfa like me who only just got over his college crush?"

"You know what they say. Misery loves company." Penny mused. "I figured that if we stick together long enough, we might not be miserable anymore."

A ghost of a smile came to Vlad's face at this.

"Long enough?"

"If you are willing to give it a try." She replied.

"Yeah. I'd like that." He said, picking his head up off the ground and moving to kiss the redhead on his chest...only to feel a finger on his lips.

"First, though, there is something you need to do." She said. Sitting up on his chest again, she leaned to her right to grab something to show it to him.

His photo album.

"What?" He asked.

Sighing, she got off his chest and helped him into a sitting position. It was then that he realized where he was. He was back in his mansion, sitting before the fire place.

"If we are going to start something and if I'm going to help you through whatever you are dealing with, you have to stop torturing yourself with these memories."

"What would be the point? I'm bound to see Jack and Maddie about town if I'm going to try and help Daniel." He countered.

"I know." She replied, "But I can at least stop you from bringing back the memories on purpose."

With that, she handed him the photo album.

"Get rid of them. Please." Penelope said.

As he had been earlier that morning, Vlad was hesitant to forever destroy the album.

"Will things get better if I do this?" He asked.

"I can't promise that they will right away," She answered, "But I can promise that I will help you make new, better memories later down the line."

Vlad closed his eyes, mentally arguing with himself on what he should do before...

There was a flutter of pages, a thud in the fire place, and a small could of ash kicked up as the photo album landed in the fire. He watched at the book seemed untouched by the flames for a few seconds before it caught. The cover began to blacken, the pages birthed tongues of fire, and smoke billowed from the new fuel source.

Once more, Vlad felt a tear escape his eye. This would be the last one he would shed for Jack, Maddie, and his old college days.

"Was it difficult?" Penelope asked.

The elder halfa nodded his head.

"Kitty said Danny had much the same problem. The first step is always the most difficult, but I promise I will help you with the next." She said before leaning in and planting a kiss on his lips. It started out small but grew more passionate as the seconds ticked by and the album turned to dust.

Penelope moaned into his mouth before separating. "Wanna go someplace more comfortable?" She asked seductively.

Vlad nodded before leaning in to kiss her again. The two teleported to his bedroom, leaving the album and his memories to slowly burn away.


	6. Acceptance and Denial

**Chapter 6: Acceptance and Denial**

 **Hello, dear readers, I'm back. This story has certainly been an emotional journey for you as it has been for me. On a personal note, I have lost my job and I'm currently seeking psychiatric help for my mental health so your thoughts and prayers would be most appreciated. We are getting near the end of this story, probably around one to two more chapters after this one. Without further ado, I do not own Danny Phantom. R &R and Enjoy.**

 *****Casper High, Mid December*****

December in Amity. The leaves have all fallen and the grass has lost its green luster. Yet the town itself still shows some spark of life. Everyone is getting ready for the Christmas season. Decorations are being put up, carols are being sung, and most the residents were in a cheerful mood.

All except one. This person was bundled up tightly in a turtleneck sweater and sweatpants. They were in a particularly foul mood due to the cold they were still infected with and…other reasons. Other reasons normal people wouldn't or couldn't understand.

As they made their way up the stairs and through the doors of Casper High, they were annoyed at the excess attention they were receiving. The crowd parted as though they were a leper. There were no taunts or scathing remarks made but the eyes of the students they passed spoke volumes. Making their way towards the office, they asked for any homework assignments they had missed.

"Ms. Manson. Yes, we collected your homework assignments throughout the week. Are you feeling any better?" The secretary at the front desk asked.

"No." Sam said before dabbing at her nose with a tissue.

"Well, hopefully you will get better soon. It seems like the entire student body was sick at some point or another this week. Still, they managed to overcome their sickness in a day or two."

This caused Sam to raise her eyebrow at this statement but decided to keep her thoughts to herself.

"So, can I have my homework so I can go home?" The Girl in Black asked.

"Oh! Ms. Spectra has your assignments. Said she wanted to personally give them to you and see how you were doing should you stop by." The secretary said before pointing towards her office door. "Just wait outside the door for her. I believe she is counseling a student at the moment."

Sam's eyes narrowed but made her way to the office door all the same. What could Spectra possibly want with her? Tucker's worry that both she and Vlad knew of what they had done to Danny echoed in her mind but she pushed that aside. They were Danny's enemies, not hers. If anything came up, she had her ecto weapons and Johnny.

There was muffled talking on the other side of the door once she reached it. Through the glass, she saw Spectra talking to Danny. Both were close to the door, as if she were walking him to the door but got caught in another conversation. Danny was looking slightly nervous while Spectra gave him a reassuring smile. The misery ghost then embraced the boy. If Sam wasn't surprised by this, she would be even more surprised that Danny returned the hug.

When they finally separated, Spectra saw Sam standing on the other side of the door. She said something to Danny, which led him to turn and look at the girl that had caused him so much pain. He then turned back to the Misery Ghost before nodding his head.

Finally, the door opened and Danny exited. He didn't spare a glance at her as he walked by and out of the office.

"Come in, Ms. Manson." Penelope said, holding the door open.

Turning back, Sam's eyes narrowed at the redhead before walking into the office. Unlike her first attempt at stealing misery at the school, the office was comfortably warm. A couch sat on one side of the office while her desk sat at the back. No pictures adorned the walls but a single bookcase stood off to the side of her desk, filled with various tomes.

Once the door closed, Sam turned to glare at Penelope.

"Ok. Cut the crap. What is going on?" She asked in her best attempt at being intimidating. What ruined it for her was how congested and stuffy she sounded when talking.

To her annoyance, Spectra chuckled at her as she walked around her desk and sat in her chair.

"I don't think I know what you are talking about." The redhead replied, giving the goth a smug grin.

"Bull…" Sam started to say before she sneezed. "…Shit."

"Think what you want, little girl." Spectra smugly retorted. "Even if something was going on, what makes you think I would tell you?"

Sam remained silent yet her look of annoyance remained.

"Why are you here?" She finally asked.

The redhead continued to give the Manson girl a patronizing look, leaving the girl to seethe before finally answering her after a minute of silence.

"So, how goes things between you and Johnny?" Penelope asked.

"None of your business." Sam growled.

"Somebody seems defensive." The redhead said, flashing her white teeth at the girl before continuing.

"For a girl that hates vanity, that is an awfully large amount of make-up you have on your cheeks. And the way you are clutching at your wrists…Are you sure there is nothing wrong?"

"There is NOTHING wrong!" The girl hissed back. "He doesn't…doesn't…"

"Who said anything about Johnny doing anything to you? I was just making some observations." The misery ghost countered.

With that, the redhead pulled out a stack of papers from her desk.

Sam's homework to be precise.

"Now I know you didn't come here for a social call…" Penelope said as she teasingly flashed the papers to the girl. "But I can't help myself from indulging off the misery you give off."

True to her word, a red glow started coming off the ghost.

"Of course I'm miserable! I'm sick as…*ACHOO*…a dog." Sam said through another sneeze.

"Hmmm…why don't we remedy that?" Spectra said before snapping her fingers.

Sam involuntarily let out a gasp before she noticed what appeared to be a mosquito fly out of her body. Immediately, the girl felt better.

"How?" She asked.

"It helps when you have a boyfriend that helps you modify the original ecto-parasites in a way that they become unnoticeable due to their lack of ghostly side effects. Keeping you sick for a week while the rest of the student body was only out for a day of two was just an added bonus." Penelope said as the insect landed on her desk.

"You're trying to make a new body and you needed everyone's DNA again?" Sam probed.

"Well…maybe not everyone." The misery ghost countered before squashing the insect with Sam's homework. "I'm sure I could live without the excess bitchiness and backstabbing you would have given me."

There was a momentary pause before a faint red glow appeared around Spectra again.

"Just as I thought." She mused before tossing the papers to the girl.

"What?" Sam demanded, whipping as much of the dead parasite onto the ghost's desk as she could.

"Nothing for you to worry your pretty little head over." Penelope replied, giving the girl a patronizing grin.

"I don't know what you are planning, but if you ever…" Sam started.

"If you are trying to threaten me, little girl, you would have to pose a threat to me to begin with." The misery ghost cut in. "What do you have? A drunken excuse for a ghost, a hormone and greed driven techno wizard, and some toy guns? We have two Halfas, one of which happens to be the Mayor of town with a bottomless bank account, the creators of the peashooters you have, and a family that would like nothing better than to see you suffer."

The corner of the goth's mouth twitched, much to the satisfaction of Penelope.

"Didn't think Danny was so much a coward that he would ask other people to seek his revenge." Sam finally said after a moment's pause.

"Danny doesn't want anything to do with you." Spectra remarked dryly, leading Sam's lips to curl up in a smirk.

"But we aren't doing this because he asked us to…" The misery ghost continued. "We are doing this so that if something else does come up, the person or peoples responsible for harming him will sorely regret it."

It wasn't a threat. It was a promise.

"Well, Ms. Manson, I'm delighted to say that I have more important matters to attend to before the upcoming PTA meeting tonight so I need you to leave my office."

The girl glared at the ghost but slowly got up from her seat nonetheless.

As the door slammed shut, Penelope released a sigh she didn't know she had been holding in. Going to her purse, she pulled out a compact and opened it. She frowned at what she saw. The edges of her lips were beginning to show age lines and her usually vibrant mane of hair was beginning to lose its luster.

Closing the little mirror, lest she continue to find flaws with her aging body, she instead picked up the phone on her desk and called the receptionist, telling her she would be leaving for the night. After that, she picked up her cell and checked for messages. The misery ghost smiled upon seeing the only notification she had.

With that, Spectra packed her things and made her way out of the school. She couldn't help but chuckle when she saw her lover dozing behind the wheel of his BMW. Tapping on the glass, she was rewarded when he jumped slightly in his seat before turning to see her. Shaking her head in amusement, she climbed into the passenger seat before leaning over and pecking him on the cheek.

"Busy day?" The misery ghost asked.

"Very." Vlad Masters replied, rubbing the sleep from his eyes before smiling at her. "How was your day?"

"Good. Danny is doing well. I think I've made some progress with him." Penelope said as she buckled herself in. Then her smile faded slightly. "The Manson girl came back today."

The man snorted in disgust at the mention of the girl as he began the drive back to his mansion.

"What did she want?"

"Her homework from the past week. So I gave it to her, but not without learning some things from her." She said as a smirk graced her face.

"Oh?" Her lover asked.

"Seems as though her love life isn't quite as perfect as she hoped." Spectra chuckled.

Now Vlad had a smirk of his own at this new revelation.

"How bad?"

"Nothing too serious yet. A slap here, a yank on the wrist there, and an earful of yelling. Still, she clings to him because he was the first to give her attention and affection." She mused.

"Well doctor, is it a bad thing that I feel no pity?" Vlad asked, a tone of sarcasm and fake concern in his voice.

"Hmm…" Penelope muttered in amusement. "Not by my diagnosis but if you are still concerned, you might wish to seek another psychiatrist."

Now Vlad was genuinely smiling.

"Would another psychiatrist be as helpful as you?"

The misery ghost chuckled before replying, "I doubt they would be able to help you in _all_ the ways I can."

One of her hands flirtatiously found its way to his upper thigh as she said this.

"As much a pleasure I'm sure a handjob or even road head would be right now, I don't think it would be good for the Mayor to be pulled over for reckless driving because of it." Vlad said in an amused tone, taking the hand on his leg and bringing it to his lips.

It was when he felt her shiver did he look briefly at her hand. He saw her normally flawless skin show signs of age and wrinkles. She must have noticed because she quickly pulled her hand back from his grasp. Upon reaching a stop light did he give her a more thorough look.

"My reserves are running low." Spectra said quietly. "Without a constant influx of misery, my form begins to rapidly age until I revert back to my Shade form."

Her hair now had flecks of grey mixed with her normal red. The age lines on her face were becoming more pronounced. Even her eyes had lost some of their luster.

"You know I wouldn't leave you just because you age." The elder Halfa said in a reassuring tone.

"I know that now." Penelope replied, giving her lover an appreciative smile.

"Besides, we both know you will still be the better looking one despite your aging."

They both laughed at his joke before leaning forward for a kiss…which was quickly interrupted when the car behind them blared their horn.

Vlad noticed that the light had turned green during their chat and quickly gunned the motor.

"You sure road head is the only reason you might be pulled over? From the looks of things, you already have some trouble driving without any distractions from me." The misery ghost said cheekily.

"Hush, you." Vlad said in a half-hearted attempt at annoyance.

 *****Meanwhile, With Danny*****

As Danny entered his home, he was immediately greeted by a hug from Kitty. Danny melted into her warm and welcoming embrace, their cheeks nuzzling together.

"I missed you." Danny whispered in her ear.

"And I you." The green haired ghost replied.

"Danny! I'm glad to see you made it home safely!" Maddie called from the kitchen before making her way to her son.

The mother could tell her child was slightly reluctant to be released from his girlfriend but nevertheless separated from the girl before coming over to embrace her. Though she poured as much of her love as a mother could give in such a simple gesture, she felt it wasn't enough. That it would never be enough to show just how much she loved her son.

"How was your day?" She asked, holding him at arm's length as her right hand absentmindedly ran through his black hair.

"It was fine." He replied absentmindedly, shrugging his shoulder while giving her a soft smile as he said so. Such a smile, so simple yet so beautiful, she thought. To think…to think she might never have seen that smile ever again if certain events had turned out differently.

"I aced my history quiz but got a B on my chem lab." He continued.

"Glad to see you too, Mom. My day was just fine." Jazz spoke up from behind Danny. She had a look of mock hurt and indignation but her tone gave away her amusement at the situation.

Shaking her head in amusement, she released Danny to embrace her eldest child.

"Just so you two know, your father and I will be away at the PTA meeting tonight. There's $20 on the fridge so you can order a pizza or something." The mother said.

"We were thinking about going to the fair that came to town but thanks mom." Danny spoke up.

Maddie released her daughter before turning to look at her son. He was laying down on the couch, his eyes closed but a content smile on his face. His head was resting on Kitty's lap, allowing her to run her fingers through his hair and caress his face.

"Are you sure, Danny? I don't know who all will be there at this fair." The mother said to her son. Though she didn't directly say it, she knew her son understood she was referring to the possibility of Sam and Tucker being there.

Danny opened his eyes and looked over to his mother. With the small smile still on his face, he replied, "I know, Mom. But…I can't hide away from them forever. I want to live my life…even if it means seeing them every once in a while."

Maddie sighed in defeat before nodding her head. She started to head back to the lab before Danny spoke up.

"I love you, Mom." He said.

The mother couldn't help the single tear that fell down her face upon hearing those words.

"I love you too, sweetie. Both of us do." She replied, smiling at her son before heading down to the lab. She saw her husband using a workbench, his back to her.

"Jazz and Danny are home." The redhead said to her husband, trying to get him to turn around.

"Good…Good to hear." Jack Fenton replied, keeping his back to his wife.

"Danny said he did well on his tests." Maddie continued.

"I knew he would. I remember seeing him and his girlfriend studying."

Walking over, Maddie hugged her husband from behind, burring her face into his back.

"You can't keep doing this to yourself, Jack." She said.

"I can't help it." He replied.

He had been trying his best but he couldn't help the tears from finally escaping his eyes.

"He needs us both, Jack." Maddie said, trying to hold back her own sobs.

"I know." Jack sighed.

"Come on." His wife said. "We have to get ready for the PTA meeting tonight."

The big man sighed but allowed his wife to pull him up the stairs all the same. He took one last look at the Ghost Portal.

To think that his greatest accomplishment had caused so much pain to both his best friend and his son.

 *****Two Hours Later, Casper High Gymnasium*****

"Settle down, everyone! Settle down!" Principle Ishiyama spoke above the din of the congregated parents. Once the crowd had settled, she sat back down in her chair with the other teachers and their surprise guest, the Mayor.

"First, I would like to thank you all for coming. I know that many of you must be exhausted from works but, rest assured, your dedication to your child's education is most appreciated.

There were a few murmurs across the crowd but in was hardly noticeable, allowing the principle to continue.

"Second, I would like to welcome Mayor Masters to our meeting this evening. It was thanks to his generous donation that we were able to install the new security cameras around the school."

There was a round of polite clapping as Vlad stood up and waved the crowd before sitting back down next to Penelope.

"Finally, I would like to note that it seems the outbreak of colds that spread through our student body has finally stopped. We are unsure as to why it affected nearly all the students so rapidly but it seems to have run its course." The principle stated. "I will now open the floor to the parents who may have questions. Please raise your hand if you wish to speak and we will do our best to make sure all your questions are answered."

A big burly man raised his hand. An attendant brought the microphone over and handed it to him as he stood from his seat.

"I got a question about these new cameras. Just what are they for? Why do we even need them now?" The man asked.

"Do you mind if I answer this question, madam principle?" Vlad asked, turning to look at her. Ishiyama nodded her head before Vlad took her offered microphone.

"It is all a part of my new list of programs for the school, Mr…"

"Baxter. Mike Baxter." The man said gruffly.

"Mr. Baxter." The elder Halfa said, nodding his head towards the man before continuing. "I was recently informed of some bullying going on in the school. More than simple school yard insults and locker room gossip. I won't go into more details, seeing as that is not my place nor would it be proper of me to divulge the involved individuals, but I was disgusted by such things occurring. That is why I'm putting money into our school so that such bullying can at least be reduced."

Mr. Baxter didn't seem to like the answer but nodded his head nonetheless and returned the microphone to the attendant.

Another hand shot up, this one female and wearing a white satin glove. Upon revealing herself to be Pamela Manson, a few in the crowd groaned, knowing the woman was about to complain about something insignificant or other.

"I have a question for Ms. Spectra." Mrs. Manson spoke up in a snooty tone. "What is your purpose at school? Why are you back now after being away for almost a year?"

Penelope smiled politely at the woman before replying, "My purpose at the school is to provide counselling to students who need help, ma'am. As to why I was away most of last year after my initial hire, extenuating and personal circumstances arose and I was forced to leave. It was your Mayor that contacted me, asking for me to return once I finished with my personal business."

"Oh really?" Mrs. Manson continued, raising a perfectly manicured eyebrow and ignoring the usher that was trying to grab the microphone from her. "What exactly are you to the mayor? An acquaintance? A friend? Something more…intimate?"

Spectra smirked back her. "Mrs. Manson. I don't see how any relations you think the mayor and I have affect how I do my job. I can show you and all the families here my degrees that prove I am qualified to provide psychological help to the children of this school."

"Next person, please." The principle said, trying to move to other parents and avoid a confrontation.

Pamela Manson furrowed her eyebrows at Spectra but handed the microphone over…to her husband.

"Just who exactly are you helping, Ms. Spectra? From what our daughter has told us, the only child in the school that you have been seeing is that Fenton hooligan."

What little whispering there was throughout the crowd was silenced immediately. Most of the parents turned to look over at Jack and Maddie Fenton to gauge their reactions. Maddie was looking calm and collected up at the teachers table. Jack, on the other hand, was opening and closing his fists while his nostrils flared for a few seconds.

"I'm not at liberty to disclose who I'm providing help to due to confidentiality reasons, Mr. Manson." Penelope said, remaining calm and collected. "Besides, I would say the slob who takes your daughter home from school on his motorcycle is more of a hooligan than young Mr. Fenton is."

"Our daughter would never go home with some degenerate on a motorcycle!" Pamela Manson yelled, standing back up and glaring at Spectra. "She has much more self-respect than that."

An audible snort cut through the silence. The Manson parents turned and saw Maddie Fenton holding back her chuckles while smirking.

"What are you laughing at?" Pamela asked.

Maddie continued to smirk teasingly at the woman without replying.

The snooty woman glared at Maddie before a cruel smirk of her own graced her lips.

"At least our daughter has the will to live." Pamela Manson spoke into the microphone her husband held.

The smile ran away from Maddie's face, replaced by a scowl.

"You are out of line, Mrs. Manson!" The principle said through her microphone.

"It's not as though I said a lie. I'm sure most of the students have told their parents that the boy tried to slit his wrists." Pamela continued, throwing all care and caution to the wind. "From what I've seen, our children would be much better off if…"

But the rest of Mrs. Manson's sentence was cut off by a feral shriek as Maddie Fenton flew through the air and tackled Pamela to the ground. The bystanders nearby back away from the one-sided cat fight while Mr. Manson stood off to the side. He turned to see an unconcerned Jack Fenton looking upon the scene in mild interest.

"Call off your wife, Fenton!"

"Why would she listen to me?" Jack asked. "She is the athletic and smart one of the marriage. I'm just the lovably fat and stupid husband."

 *****Meanwhile, at the Fair*****

In the town's park, the fair was in full swing. Bright and colorful lights were flashing all around. The hum of rides being operated was competing with the cheers of the crowd and music playing over the loud speakers. The air was filled with the intoxicating aroma of fried food and cotton candy.

Yes, everyone seemed to be having a good time…including one young man who hadn't felt such enjoyment for nearly a month.

"Danny! You have to try this funnel cake with strawberry syrup!" Kitty begged an amused Danny.

"I don't…" Danny began to say.

"Pwease?" Kitty pushed, giving him her best baby doll eyes.

The black haired boy sighed in exasperation and amusement.

"Fine." He relented.

The green haired ghost grinned triumphantly before feeding him a piece of funnel cake, topped with powdered sugar and strawberry syrup.

"So? How was it?" Kitty asked.

"I was good." Danny said in a mock reluctant tone.

His girlfriend giggled at him, causing the boy to raise an eyebrow.

"You have powdered sugar on your nose." She said.

Before Danny could move to wipe it away, Kitty leaned forward and kissed his nose.

"Got it." She said before the two lovers laughed.

"Somebody's whipped." Jazz teased from behind the two.

The green haired ghost continued laughing while Danny glared at his sister. Once the two had calmed down, they continued walking through the crowd.

Life for Danny Fenton had thankfully taken an upswing. Sure, Dash still stuffed him in lockers and ghosts still haunted the town. But it was a nice return to normalcy, or at least as close to normal as things could get. Nobody, not even the A-Listers, brought up his scars in conversation nor did they pry about his attempted suicide. Yes, there was still tension and uneasiness within the student body and yes, Sam and Johnny continued to try and goad a reaction from him and Kitty.

But Danny, with the help of his new girlfriend, was taking things in stride. He still had days where he felt like complete and utter shit. There were days that some of Sam's comments stung more than they should. Yet Kitty was there for him. She saw him cry the tears he held back in school and heard him say how completely worthless he felt. The green haired ghost wiped the tears from his eyes, held him tight while his body shuddered from his sobbing, and even knocked him upside the head a few times before reassuring him of just how loved and wanted he was.

In return, Danny showed Kitty the love and affection she had wanted in a relationship, not the sexual lust Johnny had shown her. He took her on dates, talked about her life as a human, and learned about her dreams and aspirations. Sure, they had their differences and disagreements like how Kitty forced Danny to watch her cheesy Rom-Coms or how Danny failed to get her to play Borderlands with him. Yet they worked past them and became closer because of them.

After a few minutes of meandering through the crowd, the group of three arrived at the Ferris wheel.

"You two wanna get on?" Danny asked.

"Pass." Jazz said, thinking her brother and his girlfriend deserved some romantic alone time.

"Kitty?" The black haired boy asked.

"I don't think…" The green haired ghost began to say.

"Pwease?" Danny asked in the same tone she had used on him earlier.

"That won't work on me, Danny." Kitty said smugly.

"Maybe not," He shrugged while an amused grin bloomed on his face. "But I know something that will."

Quicker than she could react, Danny's fingers began tickling Kitty's sides. She burst into a fit of giggles, trying to squirm away from him. Unfortunately for her, Danny now had his arms around her, continuing his humorous assault while peppering her face with butterfly kisses.

"Ok…OK!" She managed to get out. Danny stopped his tickling and looked at her, a victorious smile now on his face.

"You're mean." Kitty said teasingly.

"Nu-uh!" Danny replied.

"Yeah-huh!" She countered.

"Would you two just get on the ride already?" Jazz interjected. "Guess you both have each other whipped."

The two lovers stuck their tongues out at the redhead before getting in line. Jazz shook her head in amusement before walking off to the side to wait.

As soon as the two entered their car, the ride began. It was stop and go in the beginning as other cars were filled but soon fell into a slow and steady pace.

"How are you doing?" Kitty asked, moving from her seat to Danny's lap.

"I feel amazing. I honestly can't remember the last time I had this much fun." Danny replied.

Instead of making a joke about the reason being because he didn't have her as a girlfriend, she simply smiled at him and pecked him on his lips.

"I can't tell you how happy I am for you." She replied.

"I…I don't think I could have done any of this without you." He said shyly.

"Shh…" She whispered before wrapping his arms around him. "Don't worry about what could have been. Just stay here with me now."

Danny just buried his head into her neck, nuzzling her cheek. Kitty giggled at his show of affection while running her fingers through his hair.

"I love you." She cooed.

"I love you too." He replied.

"AWWWWW!" A voice interjected, startling the two lovers from their moment.

Two things had happened while they were chatting. The first was that their car was now stopped at the top of the wheel. The second was that Ember McLain was now in the car with them, grinning mischievously at the couple.

"Now kiss!" The rocker continued to tease before making a kissy face at the two.

"You just had to show up now, didn't you?" Kitty sighed, turning to face her friend while remaining in Danny's lap.

"Well, it was either now or show up just after you've had sex. Seeing as how you wanna make dipstick's first time special, I thought you would prefer I show up now." Ember countered cheekily.

Danny blushed at the implication while Kitty simply rolled her eyes.

"So why are you really here?" The green haired girl asked.

The amused look on the rocker's face turned to one of concern.

"I wanted to check up on you two. It's been a while since you've been to the Zone, Kitty. I haven't seen you or Babypop…since…" Ember said before leaving the rest of her statement in the air.

"I'm getting better." Danny said, wrapping his arms around Kitty's middle.

"I'm glad to hear that." The rocker said.

With that, Ember hesitantly took off the glove on her right arm while shifting the armband her left arm up. Danny was surprised to see cut marks on her wrists.

"I know what it's like…to have someone you love reject you for someone else. I couldn't take the emotional pain that he inflicted on me."

Now the rocker was crying, tears sliding down her cheeks before she found her voice again.

"I…I'm so sorry for leaving you on that roof. I just…remembered what happened to me…and…"

Ember couldn't take it anymore before breaking down. Danny was surprised to see one of his enemies crying before him.

Kitty moved off his lap before going to her friend's side and embracing her. Danny moved to her other side before doing the same. It took a few minutes for the rocker to calm down, but once she had, there was a determined look on her face.

"If you ever need someone to talk to, I promise to be there for you." Ember said.

"I appreciate it." Danny replied.

"We both do." Kitty added.

The rocker ghost chuckled in amusement as she wiped the tears from her eyes.

"You're lucky you got him first, Kitty." She said, causing the green haired ghost to roll her eyes at her friend.

"You already have a boyfriend. Don't try to steal mine." Kitty replied.

"Barely." Ember countered, causing the trio to laugh at the insult to Skulker.

The car was jostled as it began its final decent.

"See you around, girlfriend. And Babypop, treat her right." Ember said.

"Or else." The lovers replied jokingly.

Now it was Ember's turn to roll her eyes before vanishing in a whirlwind of flames.

When they finally got off, the two found Jazz before continuing through the fair. The evening went on as it had. They enjoyed some more food, joked around, and went on some more rides. It wasn't until they decided to play some games that they were approached by the people they were trying to avoid the entire night.

"Danny, could you win me that white tiger?" Kitty asked as they reached a shooting gallery.

"Step right up! Step right up!" The carny running the booth called out before pointing at Danny. "You there, young man! Come and win your lovely lady a prize!"

Yet as the trio walked over to the booth, somebody rudely bumped into Danny.

"Watch where you're…well, well, well. Look who we got here.

There before them stood Johnny 13, a smug grin on his face. Hanging off his arm was Sam. She didn't seem to be having as much fun at the fair as everyone else but she seemed to take some satisfaction at her boyfriend's insults to Danny.

The black haired boy collected himself, looking at the two people that had caused him so much pain and humiliation before continuing to the booth with Kitty. For her part, the green haired ghost glared at her ex and Sam before leaning in and pecking Danny on the cheek.

"Your standards must have really dropped if you're shacking up with that loser, Kitty." Johnny called as they kept walking.

Danny glanced over at Kitty and was amused to see her roll her eyes at the petty insult.

"How much further could standards be dropped when compared to him?" Jazz whispered to the two, causing them to laugh.

"We have a player!" The carny said as Danny and company approached. "Rules are simple, young man. Shoot the targets, win a prize. Different targets land you different prizes."

After handing over a dollar to play, Danny took the air rifle and set his sights on the various targets. Lucky for him, his ghost fighting skills were extremely helpful in winning him the game.

"We have a winner!" The man said, pulling the stuffed white tiger Danny won off the shelf and handing it to Danny. Danny then gave the plush to his girlfriend, earning him a kiss on the lips.

"Out of the way!" Johnny said, shoving the couple to the side as he placed his money on the counter. "Anybody can beat this game."

The carny raised an eyebrow at Johnny's actions but handed him an air rifle nonetheless. Johnny was a decent shot but several of his shots went wild.

"The hell? You gave him a fixed gun." Sam accused the carny as Johnny continued to miss.

"I don't take too kindly to insults, little lady. My games are clean as a whistle. Your boyfriend is just a lousy shot." The man replied before snatching the gun out of Johnny's hand and shooing them away.

The biker was pissed at his rotten luck while Sam was annoyed that Danny was able to best her boyfriend in the shooting gallery. She glanced over at the trio as they walked away victorious while she and Johnny were left to sulk.

"How can you be so happy?" The goth girl called out, making her way to her former friend. "How can you just move on like that after everything? Why aren't you miserable when you don't have me?"

Danny stopped. He briefly looked over at Sam before turning to look at Kitty. His blank look brightened slightly before the two lovers continued walking. Sam became even more flustered when she saw Johnny's former bitch pinch Danny's behind. The boy jumped slightly at the gesture before they both laughed it off and pecked each other on the lips.

Not wanting to be ignored, Sam tried to follow them before she was stopped by Jazz.

"Have you ever thought that maybe my brother might be able to find happiness with someone other than you? That he might be able to move on after the horrible things you have done to him?" The redhead asked while glaring daggers at the goth.

Sam appeared to contemplate Jazz's questions for a moment before angrily retorting. "He shouldn't be happy! He can't move on from me! He was so stupid for not realizing my feelings for him. Now that I've moved on to someone else, he has to suffer now that he can't have me!"

Jazz raised an eyebrow.

"He can't move on from you? Or is it that you can't move on from him?"

"I don't know what you are…" Sam tried to say before the redhead cut her off.

"Life with Johnny isn't all you figured it would be, I'm guessing?" The elder Fenton sibling continued, a small smirk playing at the edge of her lips. "Are you really fine having to share him with other girls he brings over or do you just tolerate it so he won't leave you? Is he really showing you the love and affection you were hoping for or is that only when you are putting out for him? Do you even like Johnny or were you just using him to get some payback on Danny for a little while before finally taking him back?"

That shut the goth up. Whether any of her observations struck true, Jazz neither knew nor cared. What she did know was that she had now planted some seeds of doubt in Sam's mind.

"Now I'm only going to say this once. Leave my brother and his girlfriend alone. Let them be happy together. In return, we promise to leave you and your boyfriend alone to…whatever you have going on." The redhead said, a smug smile now on her face while Sam glared daggers at her.

"And if we don't?" The goth countered.

"You'll never see Johnny or his shadow again." Jazz said ominously. "As for you…we'll find a way to break you. Maybe not your body but possibly your will and spirit."

With that, the elder Fenton sibling turned away to catch up with her brother and his lover.

Sam was fuming over the talking down she had received. Of course she and Johnny were happy. She was…tolerant…of the other women. Johnny…liked her. They were…

The goth growled aloud. Damn Jazz and her mind games! She was making her doubt her relationship with Johnny.

Turning around she walked over to her boyfriend who was flirting with a busty brunette…again…for the third time that night. Grabbing his arm, she pulled him away from the bimbo, behind a tent.

"What the hell was that?" The biker demanded, wrenching his arm from the goth's grip before roughly grabbing her chin with one hand. "I was trying to bring over company tonight and you blew it for me!"

"Why do we need company tonight? You have me! YOUR GIRLFRIEND!"

Johnny shoved her to the ground before replying. "I've told you this several times! I need variety. You won't let me do all the positions and shit I want so that's why I get other girls that will."

Sam took a deep breath before letting it out slowly and standing up.

"Look, we're both a little mad and there is one person to blame for that."

"The carny?" Johnny asked.

"No! Danny! I want him to be miserable but he's all lovey dovey with Kitty now. Her and her stupid kisses and butt pinches…"

"What did she do?" The biker interjected, raising his eyebrow at Sam's statement.

"She pinched his ass. Why does that matter?"

A cruel and knowing smirk bloomed on Johnny's face.

"I got an idea."

 *****1 Hour Later, At Fenton Works*****

"I'm gonna go take a shower." Danny said as the trio entered the house.

"Ok. I'll make some popcorn so we can watch some movies." Jazz replied as her brother walked up the stairs while Kitty remained in the living room with her.

"Ummm…Jazz. Can I ask you something?" The green haired ghost asked, clutching her white tiger close to her chest.

"Sure. What's up?" The redhead asked as she took out some popcorn and put it in the microwave.

"I…I was…" She tried to say before sighing in exasperation before chuckling in amusement.

"Why is this so hard to say?" Kitty asked aloud.

It was then Jazz realized what her brother's girlfriend was trying to say before she too started to laugh.

"You know I'm just the older sister and not our mother, right?" The redhead asked.

"Yeah, but you are still his family and you will be in the house." The biker girl replied.

"I'll just turn the sound up and hope you two are done by the time I go to bed." Jazz said.

The two laughed for a moment before Kitty spoke again.

"He loves you very much." The elder Fenton sibling said.

"I know. I wish I had words to tell you how much I love him." Kitty replied.

The microwave beeped, indicating that the popcorn was finished. Jazz took it out and poured it into a bowl before offering some to the green haired ghost.

"So, am I supposed to say something now? Have fun? Go get em, tiger?" Jazz asked.

The two burst into giggles once again, this time taking a minute to recover.

"I'll see you in the morning, Jazz." Kitty said before heading up to Danny's room.

"I don't know!" The redhead called up in a sing song voice.

While this was going on, Danny was washing himself while thinking over his encounter with Sam. He had a feeling he might bump into her while at the fair but he was thankful that it didn't turn out as bad as it could have been. To be honest, he was actually proud to have bested Johnny at the shooting gallery. Going with that, he did find it funny the insults his sister gave to Sam and her new boyfriend. Was this the most mature thing for him to take pride in and enjoy? Probably not. Yet, when was he ever the mature one in the family?

Chuckling to himself, Danny rinsed himself before shutting off the water. He dried his hair and upper body before wrapping the towel around his waist and walking back into his bedroom. What he saw caused him to stop and stare.

There before him stood Kitty, completely naked and smiling shyly at him. Danny couldn't help but marvel at her petite body. Her pale green skin was flawless. His eyes momentarily paused on her perky breasts, noticing her nipples were a less pale green and were erect. He didn't care what Johnny said, Kitty's chest was perfect the way it was. He traveled down her stomach before again stopping to look at her sex. While she did trim for her bikini line a tuft of curly green hair sat above her vagina.

He realized he was staring and turned his head away in embarrassment while his cheeks turned scarlet.

Kitty giggled at her boyfriend. She was delighted to gain such a reaction from him. Slowly walking towards him, she gently turned his head so he was facing her. She could see the surprise still in his eyes along with a questioning look.

"I'm ready for you." She replied to the unanswered question, caressing his cheek and giving him a reassuring look.

"I've…I've never done this before." The black haired boy replied meekly.

"Don't worry. I'll show you." The green haired ghost replied.

Taking his hand, she led him to the bed. Danny was so focused on her that he didn't notice the towel around his waist had fallen. Once they had both crawled onto the bed, Kitty leaned forward and planted a passionate kiss on Danny's lips. The boy lost himself in the kiss, enjoying the dance between their tongues, savoring the little nips Kitty gave to his lips, and returning them with nips of his own.

They separated after a moment of making out before the biker girl took his right hand and gently put it on her left breast. The boy flinched slightly upon touching her soft flesh but was reassured by his lover that he could continue. Hid fingers glided over the small mound of her breast before he began to play with her nipple. He must have been doing something right once Kitty began to moan. His unoccupied hand went to her other breast and began to do the same.

Danny was so preoccupied with what he was doing that he didn't notice the green haired ghost's hand reach over and wrap around his growing penis. The boy moaned as she continued to stroke him until he was at his full length of six inches.

"Lie down." She whispered in his ear. Danny complied and watched as his girlfriend straddled him, her dripping pussy hovering over his cock. She slowly sheathed him into her, both of them moaning in satisfaction once he was fully inside her. She leaned forward to kiss Danny before she slowly began to rock back and forth. She kept her pace slow and steady so they could both reach their climax.

Their lips separated for a moment, allowing Danny to shift his mouth to her breast.

"Oh God, yes!" Kitty cooed as her boyfriend began to suckle on her nipple. He remained there for a moment before showing her other breast the same attention.

Both lovers were lost in the beauty of their love making, their hands roaming each other's bodies and learning what pleasured the other.

The moment finally came when their climax was fast approaching.

"Kitty! I'm gonna cum!" Danny moaned.

"Me too, Danny" She replied.

Seconds later, they came. Both Danny and Kitty basked in the high of their climax as the black haired boy filled his green haired girlfriend's womb with his seed. They panted for a few moments before Kitty gently collapsed onto Danny's chest. She listened as the rapid beating of his heart began to slow while her lover gently wrapped his arms around her.

"I love you, Kitty." He whispered to her.

"I love you too, Danny" Kitty cooed back.

 *****Back at Casper High*****

"If this is what all PTA meetings turn into, I think I'll be looking forward to the next." Penelope mused as the parents slowly exited the gymnasium.

"I doubt it." Vlad replied in an amused tone. "I think Mrs. Manson has learned her lesson."

Speaking of which, they both watched as the woman in question and her husband walked out. She was sporting a brand new black eye, a busted lip, and ruby red handprints on her cheeks. The two glared at Vlad and Penelope while they returned their looks with smug smirks of their own.

"So…" Maddie Fenton spoke up as she and Jack made their way towards their former friend and the misery ghost. "I get the feeling she won't be changing her mind about our family anytime soon."

Maddie had come out of the catfight relatively unscathed with only a few minor scratches on her HAZMAT suit.

"Probably not." Spectra replied. "But we did plant in their minds that their daughter might be seeing someone behind their backs. With any hope, they will catch the two and punish her."

She glanced over at Vlad and noticed he had walked a few feet away, refusing to look at his former friends.

"What happens now?" Jack asked.

"Life goes on." The misery ghost shrugged. "How are things at home?"

"Fine…" Maddie sighed.

"It's still bothering you, isn't it." Penelope said.

"Yeah." She replied while her husband nodded.

"Just give him time. He's recovering and learning to open up. Keep letting him know you are there for him and he'll come around."

Maddie nodded her head before silently indicating Vlad.

The misery ghost shook her head no as an answer to the unasked question. Both the Fenton's sighed at this response but understood.

"What was the deal with the flu that hit the school? And why did you ask for blood samples from Danny and Jazz?" Jack asked.

Penelope chuckled before responding. "Remember that little outbreak of Ghost Flu that infected the school?"

"That was you?" Maddie asked.

Spectra nodded.

"Not one of my most subtle plans. The basic idea was that I compile the desirable traits and strengths from all the students in the school so I can make a perfect body for myself. One that would not rely on me constantly absorbing misery. The plan failed, as your son would tell you, but the idea was a sound one. So, I had Vlad help me modify the parasites to that they would only be seen as a normal flu so we could avoid another panic."

The misery ghost did a little twirl for the Fentons before turning back to them with her hands on her hips.

"As you can see, the results speak for themselves."

"Although," She added as an afterthought. "Vlad has yet to do a more… _thorough examination._ "

She strutted over to her lover before saying in a stage whisper. "Maybe we should go do that."

The elder Halfa chuckled at the insinuation and the little nibble she gave his earlobe. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Maddie roll her eyes while Jack was finding interest in his shoes. His mouth curled into a smirk before wrapping his arm around Penelope's waist and walking towards the gymnasium exit.

But just as he was halfway between the door and the Fenton's, Vlad stopped. The smile slowly vanished from his faces as he slowly reached into his pocket and pulled out a set of car keys. Penelope saw his pause and noticed that the keys he pulled out were the keys to his El Camino, the car that was still parked outside the Fenton's house. She looked into his face and saw he was in deep contemplation.

He seemed to make up his mind as his arm left her waist and he started walking back to Maddie. For her part, she seemed surprised that he was approaching her. He stopped once he was an arm's length away from her. Vlad stared at her for a moment, neither maliciously nor friendly.

Finally, he held out the keys to her.

"For Danny." He said.

She took the keys but gave her former friend a questioning look.

"It's been sitting in front of your house for half a month…and I think it's about time I let it go."

"I don't…" Maddie started to say.

"I'll send over the paperwork sometime this weekend." He cut her off. "Just promise me one thing."

"Sure. Anything." She replied.

"He does not touch the car." The elder Halfa said, pointing to Jack.

"Really, Vlad. That was…." Maddie chuckled.

"He does not…touch…the car." Vlad growled, his eyes narrowing.

"Ok. He'll only ride passenger." She said nervously.

"No!" Vlad said, raising his voice ever so slightly, causing Maddie to take a step back. "He…DOES NOT…TOUCH…THE CAR!"

Maddie sighed, knowing her former friend wouldn't budge on the issue.

"Ok. He won't touch the car…Right Jack?"

The big man nodded his head in acceptance.

Satisfied, Vlad turned around and made his way back to Penelope.

"Vlad!" Maddie called out.

The elder Halfa stopped but did not turn around.

"We're sorry…Jack and I."

There was a moment of silence before Vlad spoke up.

"What's done is done. Nothing can change that. Things will never be as they were."

"But can we try again? Start our friendship from scratch?" She pressed.

Another pause, this one more tense than the last.

"Maybe." Vlad finally replied before walking away.

Maddie let out a sigh of relief, watching her former friend and his new lover walk out of the gymnasium.

'It was a start.' She thought.

With that, she and Jack followed their lead and exited the gym and made their way to the Fenton Assault Vehicle. The ride was silent, neither one wanting to discuss the PTA meeting nor the talk with Vlad. Both parents had much weighing on their hearts regarding their son and their former friend.

Entering the house, they were surprised by how loud the sound was on the living room TV.

 _You want answers?_

 _I want the truth!_

 _YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH!_

Maddie grabbed the remote and turned the sound down.

"Gotta be careful with the sound, Jazzy Pants. You could go deaf with it being that loud." Jack chuckled.

"Well…it was either have the sound on high or…" The elder Fenton sibling started to say.

"Oh, Danny! Oh, Danny!" Came the muffled voice of Kitty from upstairs.

This caused both parents to immediately look at Jazz for answers.

"Listen to Danny and Kitty having sex for the last hour." She finished before taking a bite of popcorn.

"Oh dear God." Maddie groaned, closing her eyes and pinching the bridge of her nose.

"So how was the meeting?" Jazz asked as she continued to watch her movie.

"Don't change the subject, young lady! We are not over the fact that your little brother is having sex under our roof!" Her mother countered, her hands now on her hips.

"I don't know what you want me to tell you, mom." The elder Fenton sibling said. "They've been dating for a while and Kitty wanted to take things further. Even if I wanted to stop her, she doesn't have to listen to me."

Maddie opened and closed her mouth several times, trying to come up with a reply before sighing in defeat.

"We're going to bed." She said before grabbing her husband's hand and dragging him up the stairs. Maddie did her best to ignore the moans of pleasure coming from her son's room while also ignoring the urge to kick down the door and put an end to it. Once in the room, she shut the door and let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding.

"You don't have anything to say about our son having sex?" Maddie asked turning to her husband.

"What can I say?" Jack said, a small hint of pride in his voice. "Us Fenton boys really know how to pick em."

With that, he gently wrapped his arms around his wife before pecking her on the lips.

Maddie tried to look annoyed but couldn't help the look of amusement from winning.

"Come on, Mr. Macho Man. Time for bed." She said.

They stripped down to their bedclothes before settling in for the night.

 *****Meanwhile…*****

At his desk, Tucker Foley flipped through a digital photo album on his computer. He didn't take many pictures but those that he did were special to him. First day of high school…with Danny and Sam. The first ghost attacks…with Danny and Sam. Eating at the Nasty Burger…with Danny and…

Tuck snapped his laptop shut. Taking off his glasses, he rubbed at his eyes, trying to tell himself that he was rubbing at a piece of dust in them and not wiping away the tears that were threatening to fall.

Why…Why had he sold out his best friend? The money he used to crave and covet now sat in his bank account. The latest technology he desired now lay unopened and untouched by his computer. What good was this stuff when he had nobody to enjoy it with?

"Hey nerd. We got a job for you." The voice of Johnny 13 spoke up, breaking the geek from his thought. Turning in his chair, he saw the biker ghost and Sam standing in his room.

"What do you want?" Tuck asked.

"We want you to edit the video on my camcorder and play it over the school's TV network during Monday's announcements." Sam said, handing him the camera and a stack of money marked for $10,000.

The geek gulped at the amount. He had a vague idea what might be on the memory card but wanted to get some confirmation first.

"What exactly am I editing?" Tuck asked.

This threw the two for a loop. Every time they had come to Tucker with a job and had given him the money, he had done what they had asked with no questions. Why was he getting cold feet?

"We snuck into Phantom's house and recorded him having sex with Kitty. Thought we would humiliate him and possibly get him expelled once the whole school sees." Johnny said. "Should be the last video on there so just ignore everything else on the memory card."

The geek drummed his fingers on his desk, contemplating what he should do.

"Is that a yes, Tucker?" Sam asked impatiently.

"I…I don't…"

"Listen, nerd!" The biker said, getting impatient and grabbing the black nerd by his shirt collar. "You either do as we ask or me and shadow will beat you until you agree to do it."

Tucker was frightened. Sure, Johnny had been rude to him every so often but never violent.

"Uh Sam? Little help?" He asked the goth girl.

She just looked at him, raising an eyebrow.

"Are you going to do it Tuck?"

"Are you seriously going to let your boyfriend beat me up over another stupid prank you want to pull on Danny?" The geek countered.

"What is with you, Tucker? Why the sudden attitude change?" Sam demanded. "You think Danny will take you back by just telling him you are sorry? News flash! You are just as guilty as we are! There is no redemption for you! We are the only friends you have left! Now do this for us!"

The geek was shocked by his friend's statement. The one person he thought would stick up for him had just sided with the guy that was threatening to beat him to a pulp. Tucker closed his eyes, willing the new tears back.

"Fine. I'll do it." He relented.

"Good." Johnny said, tossing Tucker back in his chair. "Glad you saw things our way."

With that, the biker grabbed Sam by the wrist and flew off with her out of his room.

Once he was alone, Tucker wept.

How did he let this happen?

What was he going to do?

Most importantly, what could he do to make things up to Danny?


End file.
